Q.What are biodegradable and non-biodegradable detergents ? Give one example of each.

Detergents are also classified by whether microorganisms in the environment can break them down:

• Biodegradable detergents have a straight (linear/unbranched) hydrocarbon chain. Microorganisms (present in soil/water) can enzymatically break down this linear chain readily, so the detergent is degraded naturally and does not persist in the environment.

  Example: sodium lauryl sulphate $CH_3(CH_2)_{11}OSO_3^-Na^+$ (linear chain), or soaps in general.

• Non-biodegradable detergents have a branched hydrocarbon chain. Microorganisms find it difficult to break down the branched structure, so these detergents persist in water bodies, causing pollution (e.g., foaming in rivers/lakes). …

Link chain branching to biodegradability: straight chains are broken down by microorganisms (biodegradable); branched chains resist micr …

• Reversing the rule (thinking branched chains are biodegradable). …