costs. To make the traditional methods cost-effective and eco-friendly, their optimization is required, namely, the application of new eco-friendly yet efficient agents as
well as an appropriate eco-friendly enhanced environment attenuation.
As another new development, the high potential of GMOs, with either their direct
introduction into the environment or the contained use for a cost-effective production of decontamination agents in closed bioreactors, is being considered but not
sufficiently used at this point. Currently the emphasis is also put on preventing
contamination while using Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Crop Management and favoring biopesticides over traditional pesticides in agriculture as
legislatively established in the framework for Community action to achieve sustainable use of pesticides by Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament.
Although novel agents enhancing current technologies, e.g., biosurfactants and
biopesticides have been experimentally tested for decades and are currently highly
supported by the governments, their wide commercial use is limited because of their
high price, fragmented (regional) market, a lack of awareness of the benefits of
biosurfactants and biopesticides and, in some cases, quality fluctuations and/or poor
customer support.
24.2 Perspectives of the Use of Synthetic Surfactants
and Biosurfactants in Remediation Protocols
24.2.1 Surfactant Properties and Types
Generally, surfactants (either synthetic or biosurfactants) are amphiphilic compounds that lower the surface tension between two immiscible liquids or between
the liquid and solid phases. Surfactants accumulate at the liquid–air, liquid–liquid,
and liquid–solid interface and reduce the repulsive forces between those phases,
allowing them to mix and interact more readily (Soberón-Chávez and Maier 2011).
Thus, they may be used as wetting agents, detergents, foaming agents, emulsifiers,
and dispersants. To have these specific abilities, surfactants always contain two
domains/moieties—hydrophobic and hydrophilic.
The most important characteristics of any surfactant are critical micelle concentration (CMC), hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB), chemical structure, and
charge. CMC is the concentration of surfactants above which micelles start to
form and the newly added surfactant molecules incorporate into the micelles instead
of being dispersed throughout the solution. The surface tension strongly depends on
the surfactant concentration below the CMC, then leveling off once the CMC is
reached/exceeded (Christofi and Ivshina 2002). CMC characterizes the degree of
influence on the surface tension; the lower the CMC value, the more efficient the
surfactant. The HLB defines the extent of surfactant hydrophilicity or lipophilicity.
All surfactants belong to one of two possible emulsion types. High HLB value
496
M. Halecký and E. Kozliak
well as an appropriate eco-friendly enhanced environment attenuation.
As another new development, the high potential of GMOs, with either their direct
introduction into the environment or the contained use for a cost-effective production of decontamination agents in closed bioreactors, is being considered but not
sufficiently used at this point. Currently the emphasis is also put on preventing
contamination while using Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Crop Management and favoring biopesticides over traditional pesticides in agriculture as
legislatively established in the framework for Community action to achieve sustainable use of pesticides by Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament.
Although novel agents enhancing current technologies, e.g., biosurfactants and
biopesticides have been experimentally tested for decades and are currently highly
supported by the governments, their wide commercial use is limited because of their
high price, fragmented (regional) market, a lack of awareness of the benefits of
biosurfactants and biopesticides and, in some cases, quality fluctuations and/or poor
customer support.
24.2 Perspectives of the Use of Synthetic Surfactants
and Biosurfactants in Remediation Protocols
24.2.1 Surfactant Properties and Types
Generally, surfactants (either synthetic or biosurfactants) are amphiphilic compounds that lower the surface tension between two immiscible liquids or between
the liquid and solid phases. Surfactants accumulate at the liquid–air, liquid–liquid,
and liquid–solid interface and reduce the repulsive forces between those phases,
allowing them to mix and interact more readily (Soberón-Chávez and Maier 2011).
Thus, they may be used as wetting agents, detergents, foaming agents, emulsifiers,
and dispersants. To have these specific abilities, surfactants always contain two
domains/moieties—hydrophobic and hydrophilic.
The most important characteristics of any surfactant are critical micelle concentration (CMC), hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB), chemical structure, and
charge. CMC is the concentration of surfactants above which micelles start to
form and the newly added surfactant molecules incorporate into the micelles instead
of being dispersed throughout the solution. The surface tension strongly depends on
the surfactant concentration below the CMC, then leveling off once the CMC is
reached/exceeded (Christofi and Ivshina 2002). CMC characterizes the degree of
influence on the surface tension; the lower the CMC value, the more efficient the
surfactant. The HLB defines the extent of surfactant hydrophilicity or lipophilicity.
All surfactants belong to one of two possible emulsion types. High HLB value
496
M. Halecký and E. Kozliak