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Despite their widespread use in household activities and various industries, information on the toxicity of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) to microbial activities in soil is scant. This study investigated the effect of three commonly used QACs namely hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HDTMA), octadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (ODTMA) and Arquad on dehydrogenase and potential nitrification activities in three different soils. The toxicity of QACs on the dehydrogenase activity and potential nitrification in these soils followed the order: HDTMA > ODTMA > Arquad and Arquad > HDTMA > ODTMA, respectively. HDTMA, ODTMA and Arquad exhibited toxicity to dehydrogenase activity at concentration of 50, 100 and 750 mg kg−1 soil, respectively, whereas potential nitrification was inhibited by HDTMA and ODTMA even at 50 mg kg−1 soil. Arquad exhibited toxicity to potential nitrification at comparatively higher concentration of 250 mg kg−1 soil, with the severity of toxicity very intense at higher concentrations. The nature of QACs and soil properties influenced the toxicity. The toxic effect of QACs on soil microbial activities was more influenced by the relative release of sorbed QACs in soils. This study provides valuable information on the toxicological properties of some widely used QACs on important soil microbial activity parameters. To our knowledge, this is the first report. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Unlike hydrophobic organic pollutants, the potential of organoclays to adsorb inorganic ionic contaminants is relatively underexplored. The present study attempts to characterise bentonite (QB) based organoclays synthesised from a commercially available, low-cost alkyl ammonium surfactant Arquad® 2HT-75 (Aq) and test their ability to adsorb hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) in aqueous solution. XRD, FTIR and TGA characterisation techniques prove successful modification of the bentonite structure and reveal that higher surfactant loadings gives rise to more ordered surfactant conformation in the organoclays. The zeta potential values indicate that higher surfactant loadings also create positive charges on the organoclay surfaces. Detailed isothermal and kinetic studies show that the organoclays effectively remove hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) from aqueous solution by both physical and chemical adsorption processes. Higher surfactant loadings provide better adsorption efficiency. The adsorption performance is reasonably efficient under the levels of pH, temperature, electrolyte concentration and natural organic matter concentration that generally prevail in contaminated soil and water. This study shows that organoclay sorbents offer good potential for remediating Cr (VI) under real environmental conditions. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

In recent years natural and surface-modified zeolites (SMZs) have been developed as potential materials for environmental applications. The surface modification with quaternary ammonium salts (i.e., surfactants), induces an inversion of the surface charge of the zeolites making them simultaneously cationic and anionic exchangers, but also adsorbents of organic molecules. In this chapter an overview of SMZ applications, obtained by interaction with cationic surfactants, is given alongside the methods used for their characterization. Different modified zeolites were tested for sorption of several anions (mainly arsenate and chromate), as well as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Results show the good potential of SMZs in removing harmful elements and, thanks to their proven chemical and biological stability, pave the way for their possible industrial use for the simultaneous removal of toxic species from wastewater of several origins, as well as in the realization of more complex systems such as permeable barriers.