Section: Methodology and research methods. Models and forecasts
Results of analysis of various water samples (drinking water, wastewater, and treated wastewater) for anionic surfactants content are presented. The study was conducted using high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. A comprehensive analytical methodology, including simplified sample preparation, gradient chromatographic separation, mass-spectrometric detection in various modes (including tandem mass spectrometry) is described. Special attention is paid to the anionic surfactants identification using open-access mass-spectrometric databases that based on molecular mass and characteristic fragments. An example of assessing the quantitative composition of contaminants in wastewater before and after treatment is given. It demonstrates the effectiveness of the applied approach. The results of the chromatographic analysis of the wastewater sample revealed anionic surfactants – alkyl-benzene sulfonates (C10-, C11-, and C12-) and alkylsulfates (C14). After wastewater treatment, the concentration of the above substances significantly decreases; a removal efficiency is 97–99 %. The detection of trace amounts of surfactants in the treated water indicates the need for continuous water quality monitoring to assess the level of contamination by
anionic surfactants.
Keywords: anionic surfactants, mass spectrometry, chromatography, wastewater
Article published in number 2 for 2026 DOI: 10.25750/1995-4301-2026-2-040-047
ISSN 1995-4301
Select viewing options
