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2743450 
Journal Article 
Environmental fate and effects of DEEDMAC: A new rapidly biodegradable cationic surfactant for use in fabric softeners 
Giolando, ST; Rapaport, RA; Larson, RJ; Federle, TW; Stalmans, M; Masscheleyn, P 
1995 
Yes 
Chemosphere
ISSN: 0045-6535
EISSN: 1879-1298 
BIOSIS/95/16556 
30 
6 
1067-1083 
English 
BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. This paper introduces the environmental safety database for a new fabric softening cationic surfactant, the di-(tallow fatty acid) ester of di-2-hydroxyethyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, DEEDMAC (Diethyl Ester Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride). The physiochemical properties of DEEDMAC are similar to those for ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride (DTDMAC), the major cationic surfactant used in fabric softener formulations world-wide for over thirty years. Importantly, however, DEEDMAC differs structurally from DTDMAC by the inclusion of two weak ester linkages between the ethyl and tallow chains. These ester linkages allow DEEDMAC to be rapidly and completely biodegraded in standard laboratory screening tests and a range of environmental compartments. including raw sewage, activated sludge, anaerobic digestor sludge, sludge amended soil, and river waters. Removal of DEEDMAC during sewage treatment is greater than 99%, as determined by computer model predictions and confirmed by