Introduction
In every household, detergent is an indispensable ally in keeping clothes and furniture clean. One of the key ingredients that provide cleaning effectiveness is linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), however, with the advancement of science and growing concern for the safety of household products, questions have arisen about whether or not it is safe to use LAS in detergents. As increasingly savvy consumers, it is important that we understand the health impacts of these chemicals and ensure that the products we use daily remain a safe choice.
Modern detergents have the big challenge of cleaning effectively without damaging the surface of the object being cleaned or polluting the environment. This is why linear alkylbenzene sulfonates are the first choice. These compounds have surfactant properties, which means they are able to lower the surface tension of water and allow the release of dirt from the surface of objects. In other words, LAS helps detergents to more efficiently remove stains and dirt.
LAS is usually produced through a sulfonation process, where alkylbenzene is reacted with sulfuric acid. The result is a LAS compound that is effective in tackling fats and oils, making it a top choice in cleaning products. However, as public awareness of chemicals in everyday products increases, we need to explore more about the safety of using LAS.
As surfactant compounds responsible for reducing the surface tension of water and helping detergents remove stains, Linear alkylbenzene sulfonates have been a staple in detergent formulations for many years. However, concerns over their impact on human health and on the environment have prompted researchers and health experts to delve deeper into the safety of their use. This article will discuss the latest research results, applicable safety standards, and provide insights for us as smart consumers who want to maintain cleanliness without compromising our health. Let's explore the hidden world behind the detergent products we rely on every day.
What is Alkylbenzene Sulfonate?
Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS) is an inorganic compound that acts as a surfactant agent in detergents. Its function is crucial in helping detergents remove stains and dirt from clothes and other surfaces. The surfactant properties of LAS allow its molecules to penetrate and lift dirt from various types of surfaces, forming a foam that aids the cleaning process.
Linear Alkyl benzene Sulfonate is an anionic surfactant that is the active compound in detergents. Surfactant LAS (Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate) is the main cleaning agent of the anionic group contained in detergents that are widely used in Indonesia. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), LAS decomposes in surface water for 1-2 days, in sediments decomposes for 1-3 days, in marine systems and estuaries decomposes for 5-10 days. LAS generally degrades by 90% within 3 months, with the time ranging from 5-30 days. LAS surfactants can cause damage to the gill ephithelium and blockage of branchioles or respiratory tracts in fish. (Daulay et al, 2022).
Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate contained in detergents is very difficult to decompose biologically, so that it will indirectly cause an impact on the environment, namely slow waters. impact on the environment, namely gradually the waters contaminated by surfactants will filled with foam, lowering the surface tension of surface tension of the water, re-breaking of (flock) colloids, emulsification of grease and oil, destruction of useful bacteria, and clogging of the pores of the filtration media. Â (Putro, H., & Kokoh, R, 2019)
The contaminant contained in household detergent waste and small industrial laundry kilos is linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS). LAS is an anionic surfactant that is currently widely used as an active ingredient in synthetic detergent formulations. The use of LAS surfactants as active compounds in detergents continues to increase from 13 million tons in 1977 to 18 million tons in 1996. LAS anionic surfactants are currently used about 1.5 million tons per year in synthetic detergent formulations due to their superior cleaning properties and economical price. According to the Decree of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Number 907/MENKES/SK/VII/2002, the LAS content allowed for drinking water quality is 0.05 mg/L. If the content of these compounds exceeds the specified provisions, it will cause harmful effects such as irritation (heat, itching, even peeling) on the skin and has a carcinogenic effect. (Issakinah, 2020).
LAS has better characteristics than other types of surfactants, although it cannot be said to be 100% environmentally friendly. The process of degradation or decomposition of LAS can be done by breaking the omega bond at the end of the chain. Based on previous research, it is stated that nature takes nine days to break down LAS only up to 50%. The fact that exists at this time can be seen by the discovery of many households that dispose of the remaining laundry soap just like that and without doing any previous waste treatment, so it is feared that nature's ability to decompose LAS will decrease, considering the quantity of material use which is also quite large. (Hadi et al, 2019).
