Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate

Endpoint summary

Description of key information

Dietary exposure to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate can occur from its use in food contact sanitizing solutions as an active ingredient, and as an inert ingredient in food-use pesticide products applied to agricultural crops, and animals. There are no currently registered products used in residential settings where to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate is considered to be an active ingredient. 
However, to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate is used as an inert ingredient in pesticide products used in residential settings, including hard surface and carpet cleaners, lawn products, and pet products. 
Post application residential exposure can occur in children from hand-to-mouth incidental oral exposure from treated surfaces, and contacting pets treated with flea and tick products. 
Occupational exposure to to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate can occur frommixing/loading/applicationactivities in various use sites, including agricultural food handling, andcommercial/institutional/industrial premises. 
Worker exposure is extremely limited and highly controlled through the use of engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and use of closed production systems. 
There is no consumer exposure to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate since it is not used in consumer products but a Dietary exposure to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate can occur from its use in food contactsanitizing solutions as an active ingredient, and as an inert ingredient in food-use pesticideproducts applied to agricultural crops, and animals. There are no currently registered products used in residential settings where to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate is considered to be an active ingredient. 

Additional information

Environmental exposure

 

Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate is manufactured from linear alkylbenzene (LAB) in self-contained, enclosed systems. LAB is produced by reacting paraffins with benzene and a catalyst and isolating the LAB by distillation. The LAB is then sulfonated, which in turn is then neutralized to sodium salts of LAS.

In the Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate reaction process, the measured concentrations of SO2, NaOH were 0.0026 and 0.0356 mg/m3, which were below the occupational exposure limit of 0.2 mg/m3 and 2 mg/m3, respectively. And the dust are emitted to atmosphere but the concentration of the substances were below 10% level of environmental emission standard (10 mg/m3).

All occurred waste organic solvents are burned by waste consignment treatment. Wastewater is treated chemically and biologically, and then it is discharged to wastewatertreatment plant. Most of the substance that is used in industrial and consumer products as surfactant and ingredient in detergents will be disposed of by the sewerage system. Exposure of the environment may occur mainly via effluents of STP’s and application of sewage sludge in agriculture.

 

Environmental fate

 

The environmental fate assessment for Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) is based on US EPA’s Estimation Programs Interface (EPI) Suite. EPI Suite provides estimations of physical/chemical properties and environmental fate properties.

Based on the output of the model, Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) is highly unlikely to bioaccumulate in the environment or aquatic organisms (i.e. fish) because the low value for the log Kow (1.96).

 This also supports that the chemical is soluble in water such that it will exhibit mobility through the soil. In addition, the low log Koc (2.0092) further supports the expected soil mobility. The model-calculated linear and non-linear biodegradation probabilities suggest that the linear carbon chain will biodegrade rapidly, whereas the benzene ring is not expected to biodegrade as rapidly. The extremely low vapor pressure along with the short half life of approximately 7.9 hours indicates that if this chemical is present in the soil, it is not likely to be volatile and is expected to degrade rapidly.

The output parameters from the EPI Suite model support that any potential impacts of this chemical is expected to be very short-lived. This is because it is not likely to persist in water or microbial soils and sediments. As a result, the environmental fate of Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) is not likely to be of concern.

Hydrolysis will be not a significant factor in determining the environmental fate of Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS).

Based on the results, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid as a read across for Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) was hydrolytically stable (half life > 1 year) specified by the OECD Guidelines. Since the chemical is degradable less than 10% after 5 days in this test condition, it is presumably stable in water. (Hydrolytically stable).

 

Exposure Potential

 

Probable Routes of Human Exposure:

 

This substance (Sodium Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate (CAS# 25155-30-0)) is from the category of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS).

The LAS molecule contains an aromatic ring sulfonated at the para position and attached to a linear alkyl chain at any position except the terminal carbons. The alkyl carbon chain typically has 10 to 14 carbon atoms and the linearity of the alkyl chains ranges from 87 to 98%. While commercial LAS consists of more than 20 individual components, the ratio of the various homologs and isomers, representing different alkyl chain lengths and aromatic ring positions along the linear alkyl chain, is relatively constant in currently produced products, with the weighted average carbon number of the alkyl chain based on production volume per region between 11.7-11.8.

LAS is the primary cleaning agent used in many laundry detergents and cleaners at concentrations up to 25 percent in consumer products, and up to 30 percent in commercial products, with the exception of one reported product at 45% percent in concentrated solid form that is mechanically dispensed into diluted solution for dishwashing.

Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate is one of the linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS). The alkyl carbon chain typically has 10 to 14 carbon atoms and the linearity of the alkyl chains ranges from 87 to 98%. Weighted average carbon number of Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate is 11.7.

  

Dietary exposure to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate can occur from its use in food contact sanitizing solutions as an active ingredient, and as an inert ingredient in food-use pesticide products applied to agricultural crops, and animals. There are no currently registered products used in residential settings where to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate is considered to be an active ingredient.

However, to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate is used as an inert ingredient in pesticide products used in residential settings, including hard surface and carpet cleaners, lawn products, and pet products.

Post application residential exposure can occur in children from hand-to-mouth incidental oral exposure from treated surfaces, and contacting pets treated with flea and tick products.

Occupational exposure to to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate can occur frommixing/loading/applicationactivities in various use sites, including agricultural food handling, andcommercial/institutional/industrial premises.

  

Worker exposure is extremely limited and highly controlled through the use of engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and use of closed production systems.

There is no consumer exposure to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate since it is not used in consumer products but aDietary exposure to Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate can occur from its use in food contactsanitizing solutions as an active ingredient, and as an inert ingredient in food-use pesticideproducts applied to agricultural crops, and animals. There are no currently registered products used in residential settings where Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate is considered to be an active ingredient.

 

EFFECTS ON HUMANS

 Summary

 Human skin can tolerate contact with solutions of up to 1% LAS for 24 h with only mild irritation. Like other surfactants, LAS can deliapidate the skin surface, elute natural moisturizing factor, denature the proteins of the outer epidermal layer, and increase permeability and swelling of the outer layer. LAS do not induce skin sensitization in humans, and there is no conclusive evidence that they induce eczema. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported following accidental ingestion of LAS-containing surfactant preparations.