Influence of Hydrogen Peroxide on Disinfection and Soil Removal during Low-Temperature Household Laundry

In the Water, Energy and Waste Directive, the European Commission provides for the use of household washing programmes with lower temperatures (30–40 °C) and lower water consumption. However, low washing temperatures and the absence of oxidising agents in the liquid detergents, and their reduced content in powder detergents, allow biofilm formation in washing machines and the development of an unpleasant odour, while the washed laundry can become a carrier of pathogenic bacteria, posing a risk to human health. The aim of the study was to determine whether the addition of hydrogen peroxide (HP) to liquid detergents in low-temperature household washing allows disinfection of the laundry without affecting the properties of the washed textiles even after several consecutive washes. Fabrics of different colours and of different raw material compositions were repeatedly washed in a household washing machine using a liquid detergent with the addition of 3% stabilised HP solution in the main wash, prewash or rinse. The results of the antimicrobial activity, soil removal activity, colour change and tensile strength confirmed the excellent disinfection activity of the 3% HP, but only if added in the main wash. Its presence did not discolour nor affect the tensile strength of the laundry, thus maintaining its overall appearance.

Identification of Environmentally Friendly Alternative for Laundry Detergent Packaging

Purpose: The objective of the study was to analyse and evaluate two alternative liquid detergent packaging systems from the point of view of their overall environmental impact. Using the LCA method, we have come to the conclusion that cardboard packaging is an alternative with a lower negative impact on the environment than an HDPE bottle. Methodology/Approach: The study is based on the LCA method implemented through the software openLCA, including available databases. Findings: The environmentally friendlier alternative of the detergent packaging is identified. The decisions about individual stages during LCA must be made with caution and well documented to ensure credibility of the results. Research Limitation/Implication: The findings of the presented study are limited by the available data used for the environmental impact assessment. The inventory analysis was performed for the conditions of the central European region. Originality/Value of paper: This study applies LCA methodology to present the details of a decision process involved in selecting better environmental alternative of the product. The information generated by the study is directly applicable in the industry.

Application and characterization of crude fungal lipases used to degrade fat and oil wastes

Aspergillus niger MH078571.1 and A. niger MH079049.1 were identified previously as the two highest Aspergillus niger strains producing lipase. Biochemical characterizations of lipase activity and stability for these two strains were examined and revealed that the optimal temperature is 45 °C at pH 8for A. niger MH078571.1 and 55 °C for MH079049.1. The lipase production of both strains was studied on medium contains waste oil, as a cheap source to reduce the industrial cost, showed that the optimal incubation period for the enzyme production is 3 days. Moreover, an experiment on lipase activates in organic solvents demonstrated that 50% of acetone is the best solvent for the two strains. In the presence of surfactants, 0.1% of tween 80 surfactant showed the best lipase activities. Furthermore, Mg2+ and Zn2+ ions enhanced the lipase activity of A. niger MH078571.1, while Na2+ and Cu2+ enhanced the enzyme activity of A. niger MH079049.1. Lipase activity was also tested for industrial applications such as integrating it with different detergents. Maximum lipase activity was obtained with 1% of Omo as a powder detergent for both strains. In liquid detergent, 0.1% of Fairy showed maximum lipase activity in A. niger MH078571.1, while the lipase in A. niger MH079049.1 was more effective in 1% of Lux. Moreover, the degradation of natural animal fat with crude enzyme was tested using chicken and sheep fats. The results showed that more than 90% of fats degraded after 5 days of the incubation period.

Design and Development of a Commercial Hair Trimmer Cleaner Unit

A product design and development process has been adopted to study and improve the performance of unit cleaner system. A hair trimmer with liquid detergent in cartridge is fixed as a cleaner system to design and analyse. The 3D model of the system is designed with NX CAD software. The modification is cartridge unit is made on counter face to increase the turbulence of the fluid in the wash zone. The file has been extracted and imported in LS Dyna for meshing the model for detergent liquid flow analysis. The velocity vector and pressure magnitude of the fluid flow is analysed through a StarCCM+ higher fluid analysis software. The input process condition of the pump in cartridge assemble unit has a speed 2000 rpm and velocity of the liquid as 1 m/s. From the analysis, the suction pressure noticed at the pump zone is 950 Pa and the discharge of fluid in the pump is 850 – 900 Pa at wash zone. Difference in fluid velocity found decreased and it is in the range of 0.8 to 0.95 m/s. The predominant factor in the design is alternate openings in case baffle has increased the turbulence in pressure and the velocity of the fluid found same.

Biodegradability of Polyvinyl Alcohol Based Film Used for Liquid Detergent Capsules

Questions and potential misperceptions have arisen about the potential contribution of liquid detergent capsules to the environmental microplastics issue. The film of these detergents is highly water soluble, also in cold water, as it must fully dissolve during every type of washing process. Water-soluble grades of polyvinyl alcohol, the most commonly used detergent capsule film material, are recognised to be biodegradable. In the current paper, adequate biodegradability is confirmed by means of ready biodegradation screening tests, across a range of polyvinyl alcohol detergent grade films. The high water solubility in itself implies that detergent capsule films are not within the microplastic scope. Furthermore, their biodegradability ensures there is no concern for persistence or accumulation in the environment.

A Novel Methodology for Health Hazard and Risk Assessment of Dermal and Inhalation Exposure

Household products such as dishwasher products and multipurpose cleaners may contain specific chemical ingredients to meet the consumer needs. However, some of the ingredients may result in skin and respiratory irritation. Thus, a systematic methodology to estimate the extent of hazard and risk for consumers’ exposure to the products is needed. In this work, an index-based methodology is presented to estimate the severity of the hazards and risks of the ingredients at during the early stage of product design. Higher score was assigned to the higher potential of hazard and risk, and vice versa. The hazard potential was determined based on hazard classification by the Global Harmonised System (GHS). Risk assessment was performed by considering the Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Risk Characterization Ratio (RCR). To demonstrate the proposed methodology, the dermal and inhalation hazards as well as risks from ingredients used in formulation of liquid detergent were evaluated.