Abstract
First, acute toxicity, biodegradability and mutagenisity of 8 commercial household detergents (main surfactants were soap in 3 detergents, synthetic detergents in 3 and the mixture of the both in the remaining 2) and pure nonion- and anion- surfactants were studied, using Microtox assay, BOD meter and Ames' assay, respectively. Next, effects of the detergents on the glucose biodegradation and the mutagen intensity of 4NQO, 2AA and BaP were tested, using BOD meter and Ames' assay.
As a result, detergent which main component was α-SEE showed the highest EC50 value in Microtox assay. Other detergent which main components were LAS, AS and AE showed the lowest EC50 value. The highest biodegradability was found in soap and the lowest was found in α-SFE or LAS detergents. Mutagenicity was not found in any detergent with and without S9-Mix. Detergents with low biodegradability lowered the glucose biodegradation. Synthetic detergents enhance the 4NQO mutagenicity without S9-Mix. In contrast, soap increase the BaP mutagenicity with S9-Mix.
