Continuous flow methylene blue active substances method for the determination of anionic surfactants in river water and biodegradation test samples

Abstract

Anionic surfactants are commonly determined with the use of the methylene blue active substances (MBAS) standard method, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, new methods for determination of anionic surfactants are needed. In this study, the standard MBAS method for determination of anionic surfactants was modified and adjusted to work in a continuous flow system combined with spectrophotometric measurement. The developed method was found to be satisfactory in terms of sensitivity and precision, with a short time of analysis. The quantification limit for anionic surfactants was at 16 μg L-1, with a relative standard deviation of 1.3 % for a model sample and 3.8 % for a river water sample. The results obtained for environmental samples were comparable to those obtained by using the standard MBAS method; however, the developed continuous flow method is faster, more sensitive and consumes smaller doses of chemical reagents. © The Author(s) 2013. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com.