The fluorescence of fluorene in aqueous solutions of surfactants of different natures, anionic sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS), cationic cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC) and non-ionic polyoxyethylene-23-lauryl ether (Brij 35), as well as in single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) dispersions in these surfactants, has been studied and compared. A fluorescence quenching phenomenon has been observed in the presence of SWCNT, the effect being stronger for dispersions in CTAC, related to the improved dispersion capability of this surfactant as revealed by microscopic observations and its stronger adsorption onto the SWCNT surfaces as inferred from the Raman spectra. SWCNT interact with fluorene causing a fluorescence quenching. The fluorescence intensity ratio, calculated in the absence and in the presence of SWCNT, follows the Stern-Volmer equation. For the CTAC concentration that provides the highest quenching effect, the analytical characteristics of the fluorimetric method like sensitivity, detection and quantification limits, repeatability, reproducibility and robustness have been calculated. Results demonstrate that it is possible to determine fluorene in a fortified wastewater sample in aqueous solutions of CTAC and SWCNT/CTAC dispersions, showing recoveries close to 100 %. The quenching effect found in this work could be useful for the development of an optical device that uses SWCNT-based receptors for fluorene detection and quantification in aqueous surfactant solutions. Graphical abstract Distribution of fluorene between single-walled carbon nanotubes and micelles.