The present work includes studies related to the gas/liquid mass transfer process of carbon dioxide in polluted aqueous solutions with surface active substances. These studies have been carried out employing a thermostated cylindrical bubble column, where the gas phase was fed through different gas spargers based on glass porous plates. The absorption process has been characterized taking into account the influence of the gas and the liquid flow-rate, as well as the surfactant liquid phase composition and bubble size. Two opposite effects have been detected in relation to the influence of the surfactant presence upon the mass transfer rate. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.