The distribution of anionic surfactants determined as MBAS in the river and sea waters of Hyogo Pref. was investigated by the methylene blue routine method corrected for the interference of photosynthetic pigments of phytoplankton.
MBAS concentration in the river waters was higher in the coastal areas of Osaka Bay and Harima Nada where the population and the industry were centralized, and concentrations greater than 1 mg·l
-1 were observed, especially in smaller rivers. In the sea waters of Osaka Bay and Harima Nada, the high concentration of MBAS was found near the northern coasts where a high concentration of MBAS was observed in the river waters. These facts suggest that the anionic surfactant pollution of the river and sea waters is due largely to the domestic and industrial effluents, The annual loadings of anionic surfactant as MBAS were estimated by statistical data to be about 11, 000 tons per year, 37% from the industry and the rest from domestic waste.
Moreover, because of the good correlations between MBAS and various forms of phosphorus it is presumed that detergents including condensed phosphates as a builder may cause the increase in phosphorus concentration in the river waters.
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