Effect of (bio)surfactant type and concentration on the gas-liquid equilibrium partitioning of hydrophobic volatile organic compounds.

The biological removal of hydrophobic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is limited by their low water solubility and, therefore, low bioavailability. The addition of surfactants is a promising strategy, but to gain understanding and broaden its applicability, its effect on the solubility of hydrophobic VOCs should be investigated. This study evaluates the effect of 2 synthetic surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Tween 80) and 3 biological surfactants (surfactin, rhamnolipid and saponin) on the gas-to-liquid equilibrium partitioning coefficient (KGL) of 7 hydrophobic VOCs at different critical micelle concentrations (CMC). For all VOCs, a decrease in their KGL was observed when a (bio)surfactant was added at 1 and 3 CMC. The highest decrease in KGL (71 - 96 %) was observed for all compounds when SDS was added at 3 CMC, whereas the smallest effect was noticed when Tween 80 or surfactin (5.1 - 75 %) were added at both concentrations. The results are explained in terms of the (bio)surfactant and VOC physical-chemical properties (e.g. CMC and polarity). This is the first study evaluating the effect of biological surfactants on KGL. These fundamental data are essential to improve the design and modeling of air treatment systems using (bio)surfactants.