Biodegradability surfactants

R. D. Swisher, ed.. Surfactant Biodegradation, Surfactant Science Series, Vol. 18, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1987. 

Surfactant Biodegradation Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, R. D. Swisher... 

The biodegradation of surfactants is studied by means of many different tests and sometimes under different conditions. Some factors with significant influence on the results are uncontrollable factors and in other cases are not controllable. This causes a dispersion in biodegradability data that makes comparisons difficult. For this reason only general conclusions can be obtained from the data available. Swisher carried out an exhaustive collection of available data in his complete study on surfactant biodegradation [385]. Some basic and significant features of biodegradation of alcohol and alcohol ether sulfates are discussed below. 

W. K. Fischer, in Fettalkohole-Rohstoffe, Verfahren und Verwendung, Henkel, Diisseldorf, 1981. From R. D. Swisher (ed.), Surfactant Biodegradation. Surfactant Science Series, Vol. 18, 2nd Ed., Marcel Dekker, New York, 1987, pp. 813 and 819. 

Nonionic Surfactants, edited by Martin J. Schick see aiso Voiumes 19, 23, and 60) Soivent Properties of Surfactant Soiutions, edited by Kozo Shinoda (see Voiume 55) Surfactant Biodegradation, R. D. Swisher see Voiume 18)... 

Surfactant Biodegradation Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, R. D. Swisher Nonionic Surfactants Chemical Analysis, edited by John Cross Detergency Theory and Technology, edited by W. Gaie Cutier and Erik Kissa Interfacial Phenomena in Apolar Media, edited by Hans-Friedrich Eicke and Geoffrey... 

R.D. Swisher, Surfactant Biodegradation, Marcel Dekker Inc, New York, 1987. 

Simms et al. [119] employed an integrated approach to determine the mechanism and kinetics of surfactant biodegradation by FAB-MS and liquid scintillation counting. Two compounds, the esterquat A -octadecyl-A - [palmytoyloxyethyl]-A V-dimethyl ammonium chloride and AM2-hydroxyethyl)-AyV-dimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride,... 

An important process in which surfactants are removed from the aqueous environment is biodegradation. Whereas surfactant biodegradation in freshwater is in general quite fast, the degradation processes occur usually slower in saline waters [1,33] (see also Chapter 5.3). However, one study reported that the biodegradation of A9PE0 was faster in seawater than in freshwater in 50 days, primary biodegradation was 33-36% in pond water and 95% in seawater [34],... 

Swisher RD (1987) Surfactant biodegradation. 2nd edn. Marcel Dekker, New York... 

Biodegradation tests have shown that surfactants containing a carbonate bond between the hydrophobic tail and the polar head group are readily biodegradable. In comparative tests such carbonate surfactants biodegrade somewhat faster than the corresponding surfactants containing an ester bond [35]. The carbonate bond is not only susceptible to alkaline hydrolysis... 

The chemical stability of the amide bond is high. When the surfactant containing an amide bond was subjected to 1 M sodium hydroxide during five days at room temperature, only 5% of the amide surfactant was cleaved. The corresponding experiment performed in 1 M HCl resulted in no hydrolysis. The amide bond was, however, found to be slowly hydrolyzed when lipase from Candida antarctica or peptidase was used as catalyst. Amidase and lipase from Mucor miehei was found to be ineffective. Despite the very high chemical stability, the amide surfactant biodegrades by a similar path in the... 

Brown D (1995) Introduction to surfactant biodegradation. In Karsa DR (ed) BiodegradabUity of Surfactants. Blackie, Glascow... 

Barbaro, R.D. and Hunter, J.V. (1965) The effect of clay minerals on surfactant biodegradability. Proceedings of the 20th Purdue University Industrial Waste Conference pp. 189-196. 

Since then, surfactant biodegradation has been investigated intensively (see Swisher (1987) for a thorough account of many aspects of surfactant biodegradation and a large compilation of data.)... 

Vives-Rego, J., M.D. Vaque, J. Sanchez-Leal, and J. Parra. 1987. Surfactants biodegradation in seawater. Tenside Surf. Detergents 24, 20-22. 

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