:,

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PA

SOAPS, SYNTHETIC SURFACTANTS,

ANTI POLYMEHS

7.1

INTRODUCTION
Soaps, surfactants and polymers are discussed togerher, following the discussion of petroleum, because most of the polyrners and the surfactants in detergents are made main-ly from chemicals derived frorn petroleum. Narural fats
and oils are also used in the manufacture of surfactants (Figure 7-1). Soaps and
leat$u6
surfactants contain segments of linear or lighdy branched hydrocarbon chains rar.lat L'tlra btV(otut1
ttacaun
that are, in the main, broken down to acetate up on metabolism by micro,
go5 Atpooal
organisms in the environment. The biodegradation of pctroleum occurs by
the sarne pathway once a terminal carbon has been oxidized to a carboxyl
'wunlac{ o.:,(!"ql
grouping. The rate of degradation by other environmental reagents such
P,, ,lo, ,t<tlr,t, l,J*
as sunlight, orTgen, or water is much slower than rhat of microbial degrad-

ation.
193