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Effects of detergents on natural ecosystems and wastewater treatment processes: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 26, pages 26439–26448 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Among the different contaminants, detergent as an important pollutant has serious risks to natural ecosystems. Furthermore, detergents can pass into the wastewater treatment plants and have bad effect on their performance. They are part of human life and consumed for different aims especially hygienic purposes. Therefore, detergent components can enter to soil and water bodies from different sources. Detergents affect fauna and flora, and they have direct and indirect effects on ecosystems. Eutrophication, foaming, and altering parameters such as temperature, salinity, turbidity, and pH are more important, and their effects need to be managed and controlled. Researchers confirmed that aerobic processes are able to degrade the most of detergents but anaerobic degradation is not possible because of restricted metabolic pathways and toxicity of them. Therefore, production of environment-friendly detergent is an important issue around the world.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, and Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

    Seyyed Alireza Mousavi

  2. Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

    Seyyed Alireza Mousavi

  3. Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

    Farank Khodadoost

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  1. Seyyed Alireza Mousavi
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  2. Farank Khodadoost
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Mousavi, S.A., Khodadoost, F. Effects of detergents on natural ecosystems and wastewater treatment processes: a review. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 26439–26448 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-05802-x

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Keywords

  • Detergents
  • Toxicity
  • Soil pollution
  • Biodegradation
  • Foaming
  • Wastewater treatment