Effect of nonionic surfactants on naphthalene dissolution and biodegradation

✍ Scribed by Hendrikus Mulder; Gerben R. Wassink; Anton M. Breure; Johan G. van Andel; Wim H. Rulkens

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 200 KB
• Volume: 60
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-3592
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0290(19981120)60:4<397::aid-bit1>3.0.co;2-h

✦ Synopsis

The effect of six nonionic surfactants, Igepal CA-720, Tergitol NPX, Triton X-100, PLE4, PLE10, and PLE23, on the dissolution rate of solid naphthalene was studied in stirred batch reactors. Results showed increased mass-transfer rates with increased surfactant concentrations up to 10 kg m -3 . Dissolution experiments were adequatly described by a mechanistic masstransfer model. Partitioning of naphthalene into the micelles and the diffusion coefficients of the micelles affected the dissolution rate most significantly. Combined dissolution and biodegradation experiments with Triton X-100 or PLE10 with naphthalene showed that the biomass-formation rate of Pseudomonas 8909N (DSM No. 11634) increased concomitantly with the mass-transfer rate under naphthalene-dissolution limited conditions up to surfactant concentrations of 6 kg m -3 .