title: Surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer and sub-surface water at estuarine locations: Their concentration, distribution, enrichment, and relation to physicochemical characteristics.
abstract: Samples of sea-surface microlayer (SML) and sub-surface water (SSW) were collected from two areas-Kaohsiung City (Taiwan) and the southwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia to study the influence of SML on enrichment and distribution and to compare SML with the SSW. Anionic surfactants (MBAS) predominated in this study and were significantly higher in Kaohsiung than in Malaysia. Industrial areas in Kaohsiung were enriched with high loads of anthropogenic sources, accounted for higher surfactant amounts, and pose higher environmental disadvantages than in Malaysia, where pollutants were associated with agricultural activities. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC), MBAS, and cationic surfactant (DBAS) concentrations in the SML correlated to the SSW, reflecting exchanges between the SML and SSW in Kaohsiung. The relationships between surfactants and the physiochemical parameters indicated that DOC and saltwater dilution might affect the distributions of MBAS and DBAS in Kaohsiung. In Malaysia, DOC might be the important factor controlling DBAS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, 80424 Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yun-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brimblecombe
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, 80424 Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, 80708 Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC; Kuroshio Research Group, Asia-Pacific Ocean Research Center, National Sun Yat-sen University, 80424 Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC; Research Center of Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, 80708 Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: linnohc@fac.nsysu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chon-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia; Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd Talib
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Latif
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D008296:Malaysia; D012623:Seawater; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013624:Taiwan; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Costal environment; DBAS; DOC; Kaohsiung harbor; MBAS; Salinity