Abstract
Surfactants used for soil in situ flushing are often synthetic monomers of nonionic type. Both ethoxylated sorbitan monoleate and nonyl-phenol have been widely reported because of their washing potential. It is necessary to investigate their aerobic biodegradability at high concentrations found after a soil in situ flushing process. The aim of this work is to show the two nonionic surfactants' biodegradation, when present in water solutions at high concentrations (400 and 800mg/l), using an aerobic consortium obtained from a conventional activated sludge system for treatment of municipal wastewater. It was demonstrated that both TW80 and Surfacpol surfactants were biodegraded (and even partially mineralised) at high concentrations, i.e., 400 and 800mg/l. It is noteworthy that Surfacpol could be biodegraded to a higher extent (about 96%) than TW80 (about 45%) in a period of 168hours. Regarding the mineralization rates, Surfacpol reached mineralization values of about 83%, whereas TW80 reached only a value of about 23%.
Kurzfassung
Zur In Situ Spülung von Verunreinigungen werden häufig synthetische Monomere als nichtionische Tenside verwendet. Über ethoxyliertes Sorbitanmonoleat und Nonylphenol wurde aufgrund ihres Waschpotentials weithin berichtet. Es ist aber notwendig ihre aerobe biologische Abbaubarkeit bei hohen Konzentrationen zu untersuchen, die nach einem in situ Spülungsprozess von Verunreinigungen gefunden werden. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die biologische Abbaubarkeit dieser beiden nichtionischen Tenside zu zeigen, wenn sie bei hohen Konzentrationen (400 und 800mg/l) in wässrigen Lösungen enthalten sind, mittels eines aeroben Konsortiums eines konventionellen Belebtschlammsystems für die Behandlung kommunaler Abwässer. Es wird gezeigt, dass beide Tenside, TW80 und Surfacpol, bei hohen Konzentrationen, d.h. 400 und 800mg/l, biologisch abgebaut werden (und teilweise sogar mineralisiert). Bemerkenswert ist, dass Surfacpol zu einem höherem Ausmaß (ca. 96%) biologisch abgebaut werden kann als TW80 (ca. 45%), bei einer Dauer von 168 Stunden. Bei Betrachtung der Mineralisationsrate erreicht Surfacpol einen Mineralisationswert von ca. 83% während TW80 nur ca. 23% erreicht.
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