The extension of surfactant-based technologies for use in remediation of mercuric ion [Hg(II)]-impacted soils and ground-waters was explored. In concept, a target metal ion can be selectively sequestered and mobilized from the subsurface by a ligand solubilized in surfactant solution. The selected ligand, 1-decyl-2-thiourea (DTU), was used in this study due to its extremely high selectivity for Hg2+ and its compatibility with micellar solubilization. In batch semiequilibrium dialysis studies using a mixture of 0.3 mM DTU and 30 mM cetylpyridinium nitrate (a cationic surfactant), 99.8% of applied Hg(II) (0.1 mM) was retained, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of this ligand-surfactant system for separating the mobile contaminant from the waste stream. Isolation of the target metal ion from the complex is desirable to allow for ligand and surfactant reuse. As a function of the ligand type, this can be achieved by precipitation, pH stripping, or ligand-ligand exchange. In theory, for DTU, Hg(ll) removal can be done at an elevated pH by formation of a soluble mercury-hydroxide complex, which would pass a secondary ultrafiltration stage, allowing retention and reuse of the ligand-surfactant colloid. While only batch studies were conducted for this feasibility study, the possibility of utilizing flow-through ultrafiltration units coupled with contaminant isolation steps in pump-and-treat field applications is discussed.