Novel acid-functional poly(alkylene carbonate) polyahls and their salts having surfactant activities are disclosed. These polyahls have, on the average, at least about 0.05 and up to about and including one hydrophilic terminus per molecule and can be produced by the reaction of a random non-ionic poly(alkylene carbonate) polyahl obtained by reacting a monofunctional alcohol, mercaptan, carboxylic acid, primary or secondary amine, alkyl substituted phenol or alkoxylates thereof with an alkylene carbonate and/or an alkylene oxide and/or carbon dioxide and/or a poly(alkylene carbonate) polyahl, and admixing a compound capable of adding an acidic end group thereto. Novel anionic poly(alkylene carbonate) polyahls are also disclosed. Surfactant compositions comprising the acid-functional polyahls of the invention and other non-ionic surfactants are also disclosed. Moreover, surfactant compositions comprising the novel acid-functional polyahls and other anionic surfactants are also disclosed.