Biodegradability Detergents Regulation

Table 7.1 Regulatory biodegradability testing proced ing the Detergents Regulation ures used in surfactant legislation includ- ...

In addition to the increased biodegradability criteria, this Regulation also requires full declaration of ingredients for all detergent preparations which should be made available to medical practitioners on request. 

The introduction of surfactant products into the environment, after use by consumers or as part of waste disposed during manufacture, is regulated by the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. In this respect, surfactants are subject to the same regulations as chemicals in general. There are, however, two areas of specific relevance to surfactants and detergent products, i.e., biodegradability and eutrophication. 

Since linear alkylbenzene derivatives are more readily biodegradable than branched ones, the use of branch-chain alkylbenzene sulfonates has sharply declined with the introduction of respective regulations since the mid-1960 s (e.g. the West German Detergents Law of 1962). 

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