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Environmental and Human Health Aspects of Commercially Important Surfactants

  • Chapter
Solution Behavior of Surfactants

Abstract

Seven types of surfactants comprise the majority of those presently used in commercial detergent formulations. These are linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), alkyl sulfates (AS), alcohol ethoxylates (AE), alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APE), alcohol ethoxy sulfates (AES), alpha olefin sulfonates (AOS) and secondary alkane sulfonates (SAS). LAS surfactants, the mainstay of detergent components, have been in use the longest and their paths of biodegradation are relatively well understood. Environmental levels of methylene blue active substances, the most commonly employed but non-specific measure of anionic surfactant concentration, indicate that LAS are readily biodegradable. Nonionic (AE and APE) and the anionic AES and AS surfactants are also biodegradable with APE degrading somewhat more slowly than the others. Acute toxic effects to aquatic life forms generally occur in adult vertebrates and invertebrates at surfactant concentrations from 1 to 20 mg/L; juvenile and developmental stages show effects at somewhat lower concentrations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arthur D. Little, Inc., Acorn Park, Cambridge, MA., 02140, USA

    Andrew Sivak, Muriel Goyer, Joanne Perwak & Philip Thayer

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  1. Andrew Sivak
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  2. Muriel Goyer
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  3. Joanne Perwak
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  4. Philip Thayer
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. IBM Corporation, Hopewell Junction, New York, 12533, USA

    K. L. Mittal

  2. The Standard Oil Company (Ohio), Cleveland, Ohio, 44128, USA

    E. J. Fendler

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© 1982 Plenum Press, New York

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Sivak, A., Goyer, M., Perwak, J., Thayer, P. (1982). Environmental and Human Health Aspects of Commercially Important Surfactants. In: Mittal, K.L., Fendler, E.J. (eds) Solution Behavior of Surfactants. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3491-0_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3491-0_8

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