The environmental properties of glucose amide : a new nonionic surfactant

Glucose amide is a new nonionic surfactant developed for household products, particularly dishwashing products. We give an overview of its environmental properties as well as an aquatic safety assessment. Given the intended usage of Glucose Amide in dishwashing products, a concentration of 1.5 mg/l is expected in raw wastewater. An activated sludge study shows that Glucose Amide is eliminated more than 99.6%. Consequently, exposure concentrations of Glucose Amide in surface waters just below discharges of secondary treated effluents will be below 0.0015 mg/l, assuming 10-fold dilution of the effluent. Results from both low and high biomass biodegradability test systems show rapid and complete biodegradation of C 12-14 -Glucose Amide. Furthermore, Glucose Amide was not detectable on sludge in the elimination study with activated sludge indicating that removal in the study was due to biodegradation. Laboratory studies with sensitive aquatic organisms have shown acute LC 50 - and EC 50 -values in the 2.9-44 mg/l range for C 12 -, C 12-14 - and C 14 -Glucose Amide. Toxicity increased as a function of alkyl chain length. Chronic toxicity experiments with C 12-14 -Glucose Amide yielded NOEC-values between 4.3 and 5.6 mg/l for Daphnia magna, Pimephales promelas and Selenastrum capricornutum. A comparison of predicted environmental concentrations for C 12-14 -Glucose Amide in surface waters (< 0.0015 mg/l) with the lowest chronic NOEC-value for C 12-14 -Glucose Amide (4.3 mg/l) shows that aquatic chronic safety factors will exceed 3000. It is concluded that the intended use of C 12-14 -Glucose Amide is safe for the aquatic environment