Perchloroethylene (PCE) is one of the most commonly reported chlorinated organic contaminants in groundwater, where it forms a dense phase at the bottom of the aquifer and due to its low solubility is very difficult to remove. Thus, it results in an extendedrelease source of contamination to the aquifer. There is the need of enhanced solubility of PCE for further extraction and treatment in pump-and-treat approaches. One way to increase the availability of the pollutant in aquifers for remediation ad situ is by surfactant addition. Tween 80 is a nonionic surfactant with low critical micellar capacity and low toxicity to microorganisms, and represents a good candidate for enhanced PCE solubilization. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the addition of Tween 80 on the solubility of PCE in a representative water. The maximum concentration of soluble PCE was 1532mg·l-1 at the highest dose of Tween 80 used in this work (800mg·l-1). In contrast the maximum solubility of PCE in water without addition of surfactant was 120mg·l-1. Results show a high PCE solubilization ratio of 12 with Tween 80, compared to ratios of 1.53 and 2.26 for sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the biosurfactant UH, determined at 800mg·l -1 of each surfactant. High values of other indices, such as K m and the molar solubility ratio, also confirmed the superiority of Tween 80 with respect to SDS and UH, for this application. Tween 80 appears a good candidate for solubilizing high concentrations of PCE in groundwater
