Surfactants are substances which affect a surface – whether binding together oil and water in a cosmetic or helping an agricultural spray to penetrate a leaf. Surfactants are used in many day-to-day applications. A large volume goes into detergents, but surfactants may also be found in applications such as mining, napkins, road building, pesticides, printint inks, pigments, paints and food where they act as emulsifiers.
Also visit the AISE (International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products) and HERA (Human and Environmental Risk Assessment on ingredients of household cleaning products) websites, as well as the two brand new ERASM (Environmental Risk Assessment and Management) and ECOSOL (European Centre of Studies on LAB/LAS) websites. |