Acute toxicity assessment of several cationic and amphoteric surfactants on aquatic organisms

Due to their favorable physico-chemical properties, the surfactants are the essential ingredients in the most household laundry products and industrial cleaners as well as in personal care and cosmetic products. After utilization, they are mainly discharged into the environment compartments by the wastewater pathway. In accordance with the Europeans norms concerning surfactants and chemicals and OECD/ISO/ASTM testing methodology, the present work intended to assess the aquatic acute toxicity of 2 surfactants raw materials used frequently in detergent products (cationic – dialkyl hydroxyethyl ammonium methasulphate, and amphoteric – cocoamidopropyl betaine). The tests were performed on different aquatic organisms as: fish (Cyprinus carpio sp.), crustacean (Daphnia magna sp.), marine luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fscheri sp.), gram-negative and positive bacteria (11 species – MARA test) and algae (Selenastrum capricornutum sp.). The results of research were the LC 50/EC 50/NOEC and LOEC values and the toxicity effects correlation for the cationic and amphoteric surfactants, in these classes of aquatic organisms. The testing procedure has followed the biological parameters: mortality, behavior and physiological modifications (in case of fish); immobilization and reproduction inhibition (at crustacean); inhibition and stimulation (in case of bacteria). This research represents one part of a complex research concerning the risk assessment of cationic and amphoteric surfactants on aquatic organisms.