Anaerobic biodegradability and inhibitory effects of some anionic and cationic surfactants

The anaerobic biodegradability and inhibitory effects on the methane production of three different surfactants, two anionic: sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), and a cationic surfactant: trialkyl-methylammonium chloride (TMAC), were evaluated with two different anaerobic sludges, granular and flocculent. Five different concentrations of the surfactants, 5, 50, 100, 250 and 500 mg/L, were tested. SLS was biodegraded at concentrations of 5, 50 and 100 mg/L with flocculent sludge and at 100 and 250 mg/L with granular sludge. However an inhibitory effect on methane production was observed in both sludges at 500 mg/L. The results indicate that SDBS was not biodegradable under anoxic conditions. TMAC was slightly degraded 50 and 100 mg/L with the flocculent sludge, and from 100 to 500 mg/L with the granular sludge.