Super Eco

Photo credit: sarah gilbert

Surfactant is a term made up of the words "surface acting agent" and refers to agents that are soluble in both organic compounds and water and reduce the surface tension of water; practically, surfactants help clean skin, textiles and other surfaces by loosening dirt, grease and oil. The primary ingredient to the most widely-used surfactant, propylene, is a waste product of the petroleum industry. Surfactants are present in a huge variety of products, from hand soap, shampoo, and laundry detergent to ski wax, spermicides, adhesives, laxatives and ink.

Surfactants were first used instead of soap -- which is cheap, biodegradable, and renewable -- because soaps tend to clog sewer systems more easily as they gel; and because, when used with hard water, soaps form calcium deposits which are very hard to clean off. In addition, surfactants make detergents longer-lasting and sometimes are more effective for specialized tasks.

Surfactants tend to be persistent environmental pollutants, as they are present in waste water in nearly every home and industrial complex. Two types of surfactants, Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA or PFO) and Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), are considered especially toxic to humans, animals and ecosystems. Not only do surfactants persist as environmental toxins, but they can increase the diffusion of other environmental contaminants; essentially increasing the impact of other pollutants.