Surfactants and polymers for environmental remediation and control

Recent advances allow surfactants and polymers to be used for the remediation of contaminated groundwater sources by mobilizing contaminants trapped in the soil matrix through reduction in interfacial tension or solubilization within micellar cores (for organics), by binding of metal ions with the charged surfaces of ionic micelles and polyelectrolytes, and by metal ion complexation with ligands solubilized within the micelles or attached to polymer backbones. Similarly, control of end-of-pipe waste can now be attained using surfactants and polymers through the removal of colloid-bound contaminants, as the colloids are separated from the aqueous discharge stream by ultrafiltration.