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- Traditionally, soap has been made from animal or plant derived fats and has been used by humans for cleaning purposes for several thousand years. Soap is not harmful to human health but, like any natural or unnatural surfactant, it does have the potential to cause environmental harm by forming a surface film that impedes the diffusion of oxygen into the water if it is added to an aquatic environment faster than it can biodegrade. Many washing agents today, from laundry and dish detergents to body wash and shampoos, are technically not soap, but synthetic detergents. They also often contain compounds that have been found to be harmful to human and wildlife health as well as to the environment. In this context, “Soap Substitutes” refers to cleansing products that significantly reduce or eliminate some or all of the components that have the potential to cause human or environmental harm. Throughout the last 100 years many changes have been made to the formulas of cleansing agents for these purposes, but the process of developing effective substitute detergent formulations that are completely harmless to humans and the environment is ongoing. This article outlines some of the problems and concerns about synthetic surfactant based cleaning products since their popularization in the early 20th century as well as how these issues have been addressed, both technologically and legislatively. (en)
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- Traditionally, soap has been made from animal or plant derived fats and has been used by humans for cleaning purposes for several thousand years. Soap is not harmful to human health but, like any natural or unnatural surfactant, it does have the potential to cause environmental harm by forming a surface film that impedes the diffusion of oxygen into the water if it is added to an aquatic environment faster than it can biodegrade. (en)
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