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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1968 January; 16(1): 48-52
Copyright © 1968 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Metabolism of Some Anionic Tallow-based Detergents by Sewage Microorganisms¹

Eastern Regional Research Laboratory, Eastern Utilization Research and Development Division, Agricultural Research Service, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19118

ABSTRACT

A method in which the test detergent was the sole source of carbon was used to study the metabolism of several tallow-based detergents. These were tallow alcohol sulfates, long-chain ether alcohol sulfates, and esters of -sulfo fatty acids. Sodium p-(1-methylundecyl)benzenesulfonate (LAS) was used as a reference material. The alcohol sulfates were the most rapidly and completely metabolized (96 to 99%), and one ether alcohol sulfate was 94% degraded. The other compounds were metabolized to the extent of 61 to 87%; LAS was 80% degraded. Except for the alcohol sulfates, loss of methylene blue activity (MBAS) occurred long before the chemical oxygen demand (COD) values had reached a minimum; with the alcohol sulfates, MBAS and COD decreased simultaneously.

¹ Presented in part at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Los Angeles, Calif., 1-5 May 1966.