ESTIMATING THE EFFICIENCY OF A SOLID SURFACTANT FOR DOMESTIC USE IN THE REMOVAL OF DIESEL IN A CONTAMINATED SOIL

Abstract

The present study evaluates the efficiency of three types of solid surfactants for domestic use in the removal of diesel from contaminated soils. Six different concentrations were analyzed for each surfactant, following an experimental design that included soil preparation and characterization, surfactant treatment, and determination of hydrocarbons using the Soxhlet method. The results indicate that the surfactant Persil, at a concentration of 2%, showed the highest percentage of removal, reaching an efficiency of 70.83%. Additionally, the treated soil was enriched through the elaboration of compost, evaluating its impact on the growth of seedlings as an indicator of recovery. This study suggests that household surfactants represent an economical and effective alternative for the remediation of contaminated soils, with the potential to minimize environmental impacts and reduce the costs associated with conventional technologies.