Editing Surfactant (section)

===Biodegradation===
Because of the volume of surfactants released into the environment, for example laundry detergents in waters, their biodegradation is of great interest. Attracting much attention is the non-biodegradability and extreme persistence of [[fluorosurfactant]], e.g. [[perfluorooctanoic acid]] (PFOA).<ref>USEPA: [http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pfoa/pubs/pfoastewardship.htm "2010/15 PFOA Stewardship Program"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081027061359/http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pfoa/pubs/pfoastewardship.htm|date=27 October 2008}} Accessed October 26, 2008.</ref> Strategies to enhance degradation include [[ozone]] treatment and biodegradation.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1007/s10311-014-0466-2|title=Surfactants: Toxicity, remediation and green surfactants|year=2014|last1=Rebello|first1=Sharrel|last2=Asok|first2=Aju K.|last3=Mundayoor|first3=Sathish|last4=Jisha|first4=M. S.|journal=Environmental Chemistry Letters|volume=12|issue=2|pages=275–287|bibcode=2014EnvCL..12..275R |s2cid=96787489 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.envint.2005.07.004|title=Fate, behavior and effects of surfactants and their degradation products in the environment|year=2006|last1=Ying|first1=Guang-Guo|journal=Environment International|volume=32|issue=3|pages=417–431|pmid=16125241|bibcode=2006EnInt..32..417Y }}</ref> Two major surfactants, [[linear alkylbenzene sulfonate]]s (LAS) and the alkyl phenol [[ethoxylate]]s (APE) break down under [[wikt:aerobic|aerobic]] conditions found in [[sewage treatment]] plants and in soil to [[nonylphenol]], which is thought to be an [[endocrine disruptor]].<ref name="maria">Mergel, Maria. "Nonylphenol and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates." Toxipedia.org. N.p., 1 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.</ref><ref name="Scott2000">{{cite journal | vauthors = Scott MJ, Jones MN | title = The biodegradation of surfactants in the environment | journal = Biochim. Biophys. Acta | volume = 1508 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 235–51 | date = November 2000 | pmid = 11090828 | doi = 10.1016/S0304-4157(00)00013-7| doi-access = free }}</ref>  Interest in biodegradable surfactants has led to much interest in "biosurfactants" such as those derived from amino acids.<ref name="pmid20094712">{{cite journal | vauthors = Reznik GO, Vishwanath P, Pynn MA, Sitnik JM, Todd JJ, Wu J, Jiang Y, Keenan BG, Castle AB, Haskell RF, Smith TF, Somasundaran P, Jarrell KA |display-authors = 6| title = Use of sustainable chemistry to produce an acyl amino acid surfactant | journal = Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. | volume = 86 | issue = 5 | pages = 1387–97 | date = May 2010 | pmid = 20094712 | doi = 10.1007/s00253-009-2431-8 |s2cid = 3017826}}</ref> Biobased surfactants can offer improved biodegradation. However, whether surfactants damage the cells of fish or cause foam mountains on bodies of water depends primarily on their chemical structure and not on whether the carbon originally used came from fossil sources, carbon dioxide or biomass.<ref name="auto"/>