Summary
Fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) are used in laundry detergents to make the fabrics whiter and colors bright to compensate the yellowish shade of washed fabrics. The amount in washing powders is about 0.15% on dry weight basis, of which 20–95% binds to the fabrics. FWAs are readily eliminated from household effluents in sewage treatment plants due to strong adsorption on activated sludge. They are only sporadically detected in natural water systems. The concentrations found are well below the concentrations toxic to aquatic organisms. Uptake in fish and plants is low and reversible. Photodegradation occurs and biodegradation is possible but only in activated sludge after an adaptation period.
Keywords
- High Performance Liquid Chromatography
- Sewage Sludge
- Activate Sludge
- Sewage Treatment Plant
- Unpublished Report
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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© 1992 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Kramer, J.B. (1992). Fluorescent Whitening Agents. In: de Oude, N.T. (eds) Detergents. Anthropogenic Compounds, vol 3 / 3F. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-47108-0_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-47108-0_13
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