Microaerophilic biodegradation of tallow-based anionic detergents in river water

Nine anionic detergents from five general classes (alcohol sulfates, ether alcohol sulfates, sulfated alkanolamides, α-sulfo esters and alkylbenzenesul-fonates) were rapidly screened for biodegradability under aerobic and microaerophilic conditions in river water at 25 and 35 C. In decreasing order, the ease of biodegradation under microaerophilic conditions at 35 C was as follows: alcohol sulfates, sulfated alkanolamides, α-sulfo fatty acid esters and ether alcohol sulfates. Linear alkylbenzenesulfonate did not degrade. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans, April 1970.