Their Application .............................................................................. 179 8.8 Synthetic versus Natural Surfactants ............................................................ 180 8.9 Biodegradation Pathways of Surfactants ...................................................... 181 8.10 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 184 Acknowledgment ................................................................................................... 184 References .............................................................................................................. 184

This chapter discusses the synthetic and natural surface active agents and their potential in several applications. The reviewed data showed that most surface active agents have deep applications in industry, science, and domestic uses. These compounds accumulated in the environment and nally reached the underground water reservoirs and rivers. That causes severe diseases for humans and other living organisms. Surfactants accumulate in liver, kidney, and fat tissues. This chapter classies the surfactants according to their origin as synthetic from petroleum distillates and natural from animal or plant origins. The presented data showed that the synthetic surfactants are one of the pollutants in the environment. To overcome this problem, replacement of these compounds by other environmentally friendly surface active agents is an urge. The chapter reviews the different types of degradable surfactants or environmentally friendly surfactants, including sugar surfactants, carbonate surfactants, acetal and ketal surfactants, ethoxylated esters, and sugars. Several studies concerning the biodegradation of surfactants are reviewed. The most important conclusion obtained is that surface active agents with natural origin can easily degrade in the open environment through microorganisms and produce most safe products through β-and ω-oxidation pathways.