Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026
09:34
Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols
Published on: April 21, 2017
16.9K
Occurrence of surface active agents in the environment
Ewa Olkowska1, Marek Ruman2, Zaneta Polkowska1
1Chemical Faculty, Gdansk University of Technology, G. Narutowicza 11/12 Street, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland.
Journal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry
|February 15, 2014
Summary
Surface active agents (SAAs), commonly known as surfactants, pollute ecosystems and impact organisms. Understanding their environmental fate is crucial for ecosystem protection and balance.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Ecotoxicology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Surfactants are widely used in industry and households.
- SAAs are released into the environment through wastewater effluent.
- Their environmental presence and behavior are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide basic information on surfactants.
- To review the pollution of various ecosystems by SAAs.
- To highlight the environmental fate and impact of SAAs.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on surfactant properties and uses.
- Analysis of SAAs' presence and behavior in different environmental compartments.
- Overview of SAAs' impact on ecosystems and organisms.
Main Results:
- SAAs undergo sorption, degradation, and migration in the environment.
- They can bioaccumulate in organisms, causing toxicity and endocrine disruption.
- SAAs increase the solubility and migration of organic pollutants.
Conclusions:
- The environmental fate of SAAs requires further investigation.
- Understanding SAAs' environmental impact is vital for ecosystem health.
- This review provides foundational knowledge for SAAs' environmental risk assessment.
More Related Videos
05:46Identification of Pharmaceuticals in The Aquatic Environment Using HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS and Elimination of Erythromycin Through Photo-Induced Degradation
Published on: August 1, 2018
15.4K
06:36Treating Surfaces with a Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma using the COST-Jet
Published on: November 2, 2020
4.1K
Related Concept Videos
01:27Surface Active Agents
158
Surfactants, named for their behavior at interfaces, positively adsorb at the interfaces of two phases, reducing interfacial tension. Their versatility as emulsifiers, detergents, and foaming agents stems from this ability. Surfactants, often termed amphiphiles, share the property of amphipathy, with molecules having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The hydrophilic part is called the head, and the hydrophobic part, including an elongated alkyl substituent, forms the tail.Surfactants...
158
01:18Surface Membrane Barriers
3.0K
The skin and mucous membranes serve as the primary line of defense against pathogens by providing both physical and chemical protection. These barriers are essential in preventing the entry and establishment of microbes, thereby maintaining the integrity of the host.
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
3.0K
01:27Chemical Agents for Microbial Control
1.6K
Chemicals play important roles in controlling microbial growth by targeting microbial structures and functions as sanitizers, antiseptics, disinfectants, and sterilants.Alcohols are commonly used sanitizers, effectively disrupting lipid membranes, which compromises cell integrity. They are also used as antiseptics and disinfectants due to their rapid action and versatility.Phenols and their derivatives phenolics , known for denaturing proteins and disrupting cell membranes, are particularly...
1.6K
01:36Types of Toxins
3.7K
Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
3.7K
01:28Adsorption of Gases on Solids
290
Adsorption is a process where molecules, known as the adsorbates, accumulate on a surface, which is referred to as the adsorbent or substrate. Occurring at the solid-gas interface, this phenomenon is crucial in various scientific and industrial contexts. The reverse of adsorption is desorption.Two types of adsorptions exist: physical (physisorption) and chemical (chemisorption). Physisorption involves gas molecules held to the solid's surface by relatively weak intermolecular van der Waals...
290
01:16Surface Tension and Surface Energy
3.2K
When a paint brush is immersed in water, the bristles wave freely inside the water. When it is taken out, the bristles stick together. The reason behind this effect is surface tension.
Consider a beaker filled with liquid. The bulk molecules in the liquid experience equal attractive forces on all sides with the surrounding molecules. However, the surface molecules experience a net attractive force downward due to the bulk molecules. The surface of the liquid behaves like a stretched membrane,...
Consider a beaker filled with liquid. The bulk molecules in the liquid experience equal attractive forces on all sides with the surrounding molecules. However, the surface molecules experience a net attractive force downward due to the bulk molecules. The surface of the liquid behaves like a stretched membrane,...
3.2K