<p>Surfactant-enhanced remediation (SER) effectively removes non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) from contaminated subsurface environments, where conventional techniques face significant challenges. In this review, we studied several SER-integrated technologies based on sustainability criteria, including time, cost, efficiency, and environmental factors such as secondary pollution and effects on the microbial community. We synthesize evidence from laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and field case studies across saturated porous, fractured, and fractured porous media. Comparative analysis indicates that surfactant-enhanced air sparging has high removal efficiency for light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) in fractured porous media. Enhanced multiphase extraction recovers dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) from deep fractures without adverse environmental impacts. Surfactant-enhanced electrokinetic remediation demonstrates high degradation rates and scalability, particularly in low-permeability zones. In porous media, bioremediation with the addition of biosurfactants performs favorably due to its low cost and minimal secondary pollution generation. This comprehensive study recommends focusing on hybrid technology development, utilizing machine learning models, and pilot-scale trials to better assess the economic and regulatory feasibility of SER-integrated strategies for complex saturated environments.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>