Analytical Method for the Determination of Surfactants with Fluorescent Activity, Present in Liquid Effluents from Textile Industries, by HPLC-Fluorescence

In textile industries effluents we can be found surfactants of various characteristics, alkalis, and sulfides partially or totally hydrolyzed dyes, among other things, which are used as dyeing material. This study aims to create an unconventional tool to evaluate the degree of environmental contamination as a consequence of the discharge of these compounds that constitute the effluents of the textile industry prior to its final disposal, with or without purification systems, following one or more of its constituents possessing fluorescent properties.

It was designed a technique to determine and quantify surfactant compounds used in textile industry. The conditions of the technique by HPLC with fluorescence detector designed are: Mobile phase: H3CCN/NaClO4 (12.3 g/L) 65:35; flow: 1 mL/min; column: Waters Symmetry C18 5 mm; 4.6 x 150 mm; pre-column: Kromasil 100-5C18; λex: 225 nm; λem: 290 nm.

It was found that the commercial textile surfactants analyzed have matching constituents, but also have some unique characteristics that identify and discriminate. Surfactants Tensia MA, Unipal DLE and Croscolor Miro have their own fluorescent compounds, which will be used as contamination indicators to monitor or evaluate the environmental impact of textile effluents on water bodies receiving.