Environmental aspects of surface-active quaternary ammonium compounds
- Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
Cationic surfactants first gained prominence more than 50 years ago, after Domagk`s discovery that the biocidal properties of quaternary ammonium compounds were greatly enhanced by the presence of a long alkyl chain. Present-day applications include fabric softeners, biocides, textile dye leveling agents, oil fields chemicals and asphalt additives, to name only a few. US consumption was estimated at 190,000 metric tons in 1987, most of which was sewered. Cationics thus represent a major class of potential environmental contaminants. As a class they sorb strongly and rapidly to solids in sewage and the aquatic environment. Most major categories of cationics have been shown to undergo extensive aerobic biodegradation in low-biomass test systems, when tested at environmentally relevant concentrations. But anaerobic biodegradation, although not well studied, appears to be slow, and the lower degradability of dialkyl quaternaries in general is now leading to their replacement by analogs containing ester or amide linkages to enhance biodegradation. Cationics are also toxic to aquatic organisms, including fish, invertebrates and algae. Acute toxicity is fairly well characterized, but data on chronic toxicity are more limited and support concern concentrations in the ug/L range. In the aquatic environment sorption to sediment and dissolved organic carbon may substantially reduce acute toxicity, but bioavailability in the gut warrants further study.
- OSTI ID:
- 49464
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9410273-; TRN: IM9523%%287
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 15. annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), Denver, CO (United States), 30 Oct - 3 Nov 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 15th annual meeting: Abstract book. Ecological risk: Science, policy, law, and perception; PB: 286 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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