Organic synthetic anionic surfactants as persistent organic pollutants of water ecosystems

Abstract

Organic synthetic anionic surfactants are widely spread environmental pollutants. Most of them are high-toxic xenobiotics in environment. They are accumulated in aquatic habitats, transported through the food webs and slowly degrade. Despite the problem importance and higher concentrations of these toxicants in environment compared to well-known persistent organic pollutants such as PCDD, PCDF, PCB, PAH, and others at present surfactants determination is of too low interest. The report presents basic properties of these substances, ways of their incoming into the environment, distribution, behavior in ecosystems, including Lake Baikal, toxicity, effect on water organisms, and other common aspects.