Abstract
Surfactants are depended upon worldwide as cleaning agents. Their usage in such large quantities
means that their waste and the potential for pollution are high. Many studies have been done over the
last three decades encompassing treatment, alternatives to non-biodegradable surfactants, and the environmental
impact. It has been found that although certain surfactants may not be directly toxic, when their
concentrations are high in soil, they can act as agents to release toxic pollutants such as polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs). The focus of this study is to review recent advances in the toxicology, the environmental
fate, and the treatment of selected surfactants. In addition, photolytic and photocatalytic degradation of
linear alkylbenzene sulfonate in water is presented.