DETERGENTS AND WATER POLLUTION ABATEMENT.

Abstract

SA OAP and are essential for the maintenance of the high standards of cleanliness and sanitation which are common in the United States. In everyday conversation, the phrase and has come to mean more than what it says literally. Today, it would ordinarily include detergents which in the past two decades have taken over many of the cleaning jobs previously done by soap. Detergents do things not possible with ordinary soap and the benefits of their use in our environment are great. On the other hand, the hue and cry about detergents in waste waters and water supplies, motivated, very likely, by the misconception that all foams observed in rivers are caused by synthetic detergent residues and by a general concern about pollution, misses the real total pollution target. Some have even gone so far as to demand a ban on detergents. While technical people who have studied the matter recognize that the fears which have caused the hue and cry are unrealistic, the increasing intensity of interest signals the need for constructive action. What should be done? The detergent industry is being commended for its conversion to products which will disappear more readily in waste treatment operations and in surface waters. However, to appraise this complex matter it is important (1) to define the problems that have existed and to evaluate any disadvantages that have resulted from the use of household and industrial synthetic detergents for washing and cleaning purposes and (2) to determine the best solutions for any real problems. In addition, there is a need to communicate the technical facts to those who express unwarranted concern. The hue and cry about detergents, which exaggerates their part in total pollution, encourages unnecessary and inefficient splintering of more basic programs for water pollution control. Action should be based on sound knowledge already acquired and on the way. What do we know about spent detergent products which have finished their cleaning job and have gone down the drain? What is the nature and magnitude of present or future problems? This discussion attempts (1) to differentiate between real and imaginary problems, (2) to supply data bearing on the problems which do exist, and (3) to indicate what can be expected from the detergent industry's changeover. In doing so it draws heavily from Components of Household Synthetic Detergents in Water and Sewage, a comprehensive ORSANCO (Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission)