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Specific analytical techniques were used to study the behaviour of alkylphenol polyethoxylate surfactants (APnEO) in several full-scale mechanical-biological sewage treatment plants in the Glatt Valley, Switzerland. Both parent compounds and the major metabolic products were quantified. Untreated sewage and primary effluents contained considerable amounts of surfactant-derived nonylphenolic compounds (3.0–9.6% of the dissolved organic carbon). Parent nonylphenol polyethoxylates (nEO = 3–20) were efficiently eliminated during biological treatment. However, the overall rate of biodegradation was limited due to the formation of biorefractory metabolites, including nonylphenol (NP), nonylphenol mono- and diethoxylate (NP1EO, NP2EO) and nonylphenoxy carboxylic acids (NPEC). The abundance of a particular metabolite was very dependent on the treatment conditions. Studies of the mass flows of …