Household products such as laundry detergents and dishwasher tablets are an indispensable part of everyday life, but such products contain all sorts of chemicals that have undesirable properties. Many are difficult to break down when they enter the environment, and some add nutrients that trigger environmentally harmful algal blooms. The ingredient lists for even what are described as environmentally friendly cleansing products can be filled with lots of polysyllabic chemicals with unknown potential impacts. Detergents made from harmless stuff are often difficult to make, hard to rinse off, and sometimes potentially damaging to fabrics.
Researchers at Tianjin University in China have developed an environmentally friendly detergent made of tiny wood fibers and corn protein that removes stains from clothes and dishes as well as commercial products.
The researchers combined cellulose nanofibers from wood with zein protein, which is taken from corn, to produce an emulsion. The cellulose can attract and repel water and can form emulsions and attract various kinds of stains. The zein protein helps to stabilize the emulsion and trap oils.
They tested the new detergent by cleaning cotton cloth and dishes stained with ink, chili oil, and tomato paste. They compared the results against commercial laundry detergent and dish soap. Their new detergent was somewhat less effective than the commercial products when used at 1% concentration but was more effective when used at a 5% concentration.
The results suggest that this natural detergent could be an efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative to the synthetic cleaning agents that currently dominate the market.
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Researchers create eco-friendly detergent from wood fiber and corn protein
Photo, posted July 31, 2009, courtesy of Mei Anne Mendoza via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio
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