Determination of Synthetic Detergents in Water

Abstract

Water pollution by detergents has become a serious problem. In 1984, the production of synthetic detergents and soap came up to 1300 thousand tons. Most detergents are discharged into public sewerage or public water system. Anionic and nonionic surfactants are major components of synthetic detergents. Determination of anionic and nonionic surfactants in environmental water is important in tracing possible pollution sources and protecting from water pollution by detergents. This review has been presented on the method for the determination of anionic and nonionic surfactants in water by colorimetry, gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, infrared spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrophotometry.