Determination of linear alkylbenzenesulfonates (LASs) in sewage sludge and carrots by capillary electrophoresis--UV detection

A method based on capillary zone electrophoresis has been proposed in order to separate and determine four groups of linear alkylbenzenesulfonates in sewage sludge and carrots. The separation was carried out in a silica capillary of 50 cm x 75 microm at 25 kV using a sodium borate buffer solution of 100 mM which includes 40% of acetonitrile. The detection was made by UV-Vis diode array detector. Precision, accuracy, linearity, detection and quantification limits of the method were determined. Finally, the method was applied to analyse samples of sewage sludge from a wastewater depuration station in Crispijana (Alava, Spain) and carrots sown in soils spiked with this sludge. In this case, it is necessary to carry out an extraction step for its determination. The extraction was carried out by solid phase extraction with a C18 cartridge. The solid phase extraction (SPE) parameters were also optimized and the recoveries were calculated. Samples of sewage sludge were analysed weekly during two years and, in all cases, results under legal limits for their use in agriculture were obtained.

Influence of water hardness on the bioavailability and toxicity of linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS)

In the present work, the influence of Ca2+ concentration on the toxicity of single cut linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) homologues was studied. Precipitation boundary diagrams for each homologue were obtained, indicating turbid and clear zones depending on the LAS and Ca2+ concentrations. The separation between transparent and turbid zones is given by the so-called precipitation line. LAS toxicity to Daphnia magna was determined at concentrations close to this precipitation line. It was observed that when Ca(LAS)2 precipitation progresses, LAS bioavailability decreases for test animals, and the toxicity diminishes even at high nominal LAS concentrations. According to the "free ion activity model" (FIAM), the toxicity of a given chemical compound is mainly due to the ionic species (Ca2+-LAS-) and not due to the precipitated molecule, Ca(LAS)2. The significance of the present study is in connection with the assessment of LAS sorption/precipitation studies in soils and sediments, where in situ toxicity is strongly influenced by Ca2+/Mg2+ ions, according to the results presented in this work.