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Biodegradation of hydrophobic organic compounds inpolluted soil is a process involving interactionsamong soil particles, pollutants, water, andmicro-organisms. Surface-active agents or surfactantsare compounds that may affect these interactions, andthe use of these compounds may be a means ofovercoming the problem of limited bioavailability ofhydrophobic organic pollutants in biological soilremediation. The effects of surfactants on thephysiology of micro-organisms range from inhibition ofgrowth due to surfactant toxicity to stimulation ofgrowth caused by the use of surfactants as aco-substrate. The most important effect of surfactantson the interactions among soil and pollutant isstimulation of mass transport of the pollutant fromthe soil to the aqueous phase. This can be caused bythree different mechanisms: emulsification of liquidpollutant, micellar solubilisation, and facilitatedtransport. The importance …