Reduction in surfactants by irradiation

Detergents have been determined to be some of the largest contributors to today's water pollution conditions. Yet pollution is not produced by the total chemical constituents but by certain specific chemical structures. Linear Alkylate Sulfonate (LAS) is used as a wetting agent in certain detergents because it creates an effective surface barrier at the water/air interface. This barrier not only hinders the diffusion of oxygen from the air into the water but also holds in any carbon dioxide produced within the water. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of ionizing radiation on Linear Alkylate Sulfonate to overcome the surface tension effect of detergents. Gamma rays from Cobalt-60 were utilized as the ionizing radiation. This particular material was used because, when encapsulated, it possesses the property of being a pure gamma-ray emitter and has a half-life of 5.24 years