Surfactants and complexing agents are chemical products that are relea
sed into the environment in large amounts after being used in cleaning
processes, mineral flotation, pesticide formulations, etc. Although t
hese compounds are largely degraded during sewage treatment in industr
ialized countries, significant amounts will be found in sediments or s
ewage sludges. Furthermore, large concentrations of these compounds ca
n be found in small rivers and brooks in the vicinity of outfalls of s
ewage treatment plants. Since these compounds can be expected to alter
the organic matrix of the soil (surfactants) or to remobilize heavy m
etals from soils or sediments (complexing agents), their occurrence in
the environment and their effects have to be investigated to estimate
their long-term risk potential. This could be a new task for specimen
banking. To this end, (a) sensitive and specific detection methods fo
r surfactants and complexing agents have to be developed at concentrat
ions relevant to environmental occurrence, and (b) the effect of surfa
ctants and complexing agents on the distribution of organic and inorga
nic pollutants in environmental compartments has to be investigated. P
reliminary investigations show significant synergistic or antagonistic
effects of various surfactants on the adsorption of pollutants at cla
y minerals.