Surfactants include. Surfactants (surfactants). Cationic surfactants in detergents
Figure 1: Surfactants: Scheme of Action
Sodium and potassium salts of higher fatty acids (soaps) are surfactants capable of forming persistent soap films. Surfactants (surfactants) can be located in a certain way at the interface of two phases, for example, such as water-air or water-oil... This behavior of surfactants is explained by the peculiarity of their structure: the surfactant molecule, for example, soap, includes both a polar hydrophilic group capable of ionizing and a non-polar hydrophobic part - a hydrocarbon one. At the interface, the hydrophilic group is oriented toward water, and a hydrocarbon radical toward the oil phase or air.
Figure 2: Micelles of Soaps
V aquatic environment at a certain concentration, surfactant molecules no longer exist in the form of isolated particles, but as large aggregates - micelles, in which all hydrocarbon groups are located in the center of the micelle, and hydrophilic groups - outside (Fig. 2a). A micelle is able to "capture" particles of water-insoluble substances and create persistent ones, since the adhesion of micelles is prevented by the same charge on their surfaces (Fig. 2b). The washing effect of soaps is based on this principle. Contamination is a grease film with dust particles. Soaps emulsify impurities, after which the emulsion is easily washed off with water.
Synthetic surfactants and detergents
The production of soap requires a large amount of fat - a valuable food and technical product. Meanwhile, other organic compounds, which have a similar structure to soaps, also have surface activity.
These include:
- anionic surfactants(For example, sodium salts of alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates);
- cationic surfactants(e.g. quaternary alkylammonium salts)
Figure 3: Synthetic Surfactant Formulas
Anionic and cationic surfactants necessarily contain a long alkyl radical in the molecule (C 12 - C 14)
Synthetic surfactants are produced in industry from available hydrocarbon raw materials, mainly oil, so they are inexpensive. Another advantage of detergents based on synthetic surfactants is the possibility of their use in hard water, in which ordinary soaps give insoluble calcium and magnesium salts, which reduces the effectiveness of the detergent action and increases the consumption of soap.
Twins
Figure 4: General Twin Formula
Recently, surfactants are widely used in industry (for example, in textiles). twins... In pharmacy, they serve as a synthetic emulsifying base in the manufacture of ointments.
Twins built by general principle, like other surfactants, that is, their molecules have non-polar and polar parts. The molecule is based on a cyclic tetrahydric alcohol sorbitan, in which one to three hydroxyl groups are esterified with higher fatty acids. The radicals of these acids make up the non-polar part of the molecule.
The remaining hydroxyl groups form an ether bond with the residues of polyethylene glycol - (CH 2 CH 2 O) n CH 2 CH 2 OH, where n = 40-80... Fragments of polyethylene glycol represent the polar part of the tweens.
Bibliography: Organic chemistry, A.P. Luzin, S.E. Zurabyan, N.A. Tyukavkina, 1998
Surfactants (Surfactants) are, as a rule, chemical substances found in any cleaning product, even regular soap. It is thanks to surfactants that the cleaning agent cleans.
What are surfactants for?
The problem is that dirt, especially grease, is very difficult to wash off with water. Try washing your greasy hands with water. The water will drain without washing away the grease. Water molecules do not stick to fat molecules and do not take them with them. So the challenge is to attach fat molecules to water molecules. This is exactly what surfactants do. A surfactant molecule is a sphere, one pole of which is lipophilic (combines with fats), and the other is hydrophilic (enters into a bond with water molecules). That is, one end of the surfactant particle is attached to the fat particle, and the other end to the water particles.
How do surfactants affect our health?
Most of the moisture in the human body is also fatty. Those. for example, the protective layer of the skin (lipids are fats that protect the skin from the ingestion of various bacteria) is a fatty film and is naturally destroyed by surfactants. And the infection attacks the place that is least protected, which of course is harmful to human health. Experts say that after applying the detergent, the protective layer of the skin should have time to recover within 4 hours to at least 60%. These are the standards of hygiene established by GOST. However, not all detergents provide such skin regeneration. But fat-free and dehydrated skin ages faster.
In addition, non-biodegradable surfactants can accumulate in the brain, liver, heart, body fat (especially a lot) and continue to destroy the body for a long time. And since practically no one can do without detergents, surfactants are constantly replenished in our body, providing continuous harm to the body. Surfactants also affect reproductive function in men, similarly radioactive radiation.
The problem is aggravated by the fact that our treatment facilities do not cope well with the removal of surfactants. Therefore, harmful surfactants return through the water supply to us in almost the same concentration in which we pour them into the drain. The only exceptions are products with biodegradable surfactants.
What are surfactants?
Anionic surfactants. The main advantage is the relatively low cost, efficiency and good solubility. But they are the most aggressive towards the human body.
- Cationic surfactants. Possess bactericidal properties.
- Nonionic surfactants. The main advantage is the beneficial effect on the fabric and, most importantly, 100% biodegradability.
- Ampholytic surfactants. Depending on the medium (acidity / alkalinity), they manifest themselves as either cationic or anionic surfactants.
How do surfactants affect the environment?
One of the main negative effects of surfactants in the environment is a decrease in surface tension. For example, in the ocean, a change in surface tension leads to a decrease in the rate of retention of CO2 and oxygen in the body of water. And this negatively affects the aquatic flora and fauna.
In addition, almost all surfactants used in industry and households, getting on particles of earth, sand, clay, under normal conditions can release heavy metal ions retained by these particles, and thereby increase the risk of these substances entering the human body.
What is a biodegradable surfactant?
One of the main criteria environmental safety household chemicals is the biodegradability of surfactants that are part of their composition. Surfactants are divided into those that are rapidly destroyed in the environment and those that are not destroyed and can accumulate in organisms in unacceptable concentrations.
Moreover, they distinguish between primary biodegradability, which implies structural changes in surfactants by microorganisms, leading to the loss of surface-active properties, and complete biodegradability - the final biodegradation of surfactants to carbon dioxide and water. Only such fully biodegradable surfactants are safe.
Only some nonionic surfactants are 100% biodegradable, primarily derived from biological raw materials, not oil products.
Bio-surfactant - what is it?
In 1995, ECOVER, together with the French company Agro-Industrie Recherches et Développements (ARD), took part in a European research project to learn how to synthesize surfactants from agricultural waste such as straw and wheat bran. The project was successfully completed back in 1999, and production in industrial scale started in 2008.
Now bio-surfactants form the basis of the entire line of dishwashing detergents from the ECOVER brand. The test results confirm that such surfactants have a strong cleaning effect, are completely biodegradable and are characterized by low toxicity. It looks like a fairy tale in which straw turns to gold, but here it comes about a real story.
Nonionic surfactants
Compounds that dissolve in water without the formation of ions are called non-ionic. Their group is represented by polyglycolic and polyglycolic esters of fatty alcohols (for example, feistenzide - Disodium Laurethsulfosuccinate - a fluid liquid consisting of citric acid and fatty alcohols). Get nonionic surfactants by oxyethylation vegetable oils(castor, wheat germ, flax, sesame, cocoa, calendula, parsley, rice, St. John's wort). Non-ionic surfactants exist only in liquid or paste form, therefore they cannot be contained in solid detergents (soap, powders).
Aqueous solutions of fatty acid esters are a dispersion micelle solution often referred to as "smart soaps" because it emulsifies dirt and grease, removing them from the surface of the skin and hair without damaging the protective mantle.
Properties of non-ionic surfactants
This type of surfactant brings softness, safety, environmental friendliness to the detergent (biodegradability of non-ionic tensides is 100%). They stabilize soap suds, have mild thickening properties, have a bradykinase and polishing effect, restoring the outer layers of the epidermis and hair, and contribute to the activation of the action of therapeutic additives of the cleansing agent.
This is the most promising and rapidly developing class of surfactants. At least 80-90% of such surfactants are obtained by adding ethylene oxide to alcohols, alkyl phenols, carboxylic acids, amines, and other compounds with reactive hydrogen atoms. Polyoxyatilene ethers of alkyl phenols are the most numerous and widespread group of nonionic surfactants, including more than a hundred trade names, the most famous are OP-4, OP-7 and OP-10. Typical feedstocks are octyl, ionyl and dodecylphenols; cr. in addition, cresols, cresol to-that, β-naphthol, etc. are used. If an individual alkylphenol is taken into the reaction, finished product is a mixture of surfactants with total f-crystals RC6H4O (CH2O) mH, where m is the degree of oxyethylation, depending on the molar ratio of the starting components.
All surfactants. can be divided into two categories according to the type of systems they form when interacting with a dissolving medium. Micelle-forming surfactants belong to one category. century, to the other - not forming micelles. In solutions of micelle-forming surfactants c. Above the critical micelle concentration (CMC), colloidal particles (micelles) appear, consisting of tens or hundreds of molecules (ions). Micelles decompose reversibly into individual molecules or ions when the solution is diluted (more precisely, colloidal dispersion) to a concentration below the CMC.
Thus, solutions of micelle-forming surfactants. occupy an intermediate position between true (molecular) and colloidal solutions, therefore they are often called semi-colloidal systems. Micelle-forming surfactants include all detergents, emulsifiers, wetting agents, dispersants, etc.
It is convenient to evaluate the surface activity by the greatest decrease in surface tension divided by the corresponding concentration - CMC in the case of micelle-forming surfactants. Surface activity is inversely proportional to CMC:
The formation of micelles occurs in a narrow range of concentrations, which becomes narrower and more definite as the hydrophobic radicals lengthen.
The simplest micelles of typical semi-colloidal surfactants, for example. salts fatty to-t, at concentrations not too exceeding the CMC, have a spheroidal shape.
With an increase in the surfactant concentration of anisometric micelles, it is accompanied by a sharp increase in the structural viscosity, which in some cases leads to gelling, i.e. complete loss of fluidity.
The action of detergents. Soap has been around for thousands of years, but only relatively recently did chemists understand why it has detergent properties. The mechanism for removing dirt is essentially the same for soaps and synthetic detergents. Let's consider it using the example of table salt, ordinary soap and sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate, one of the first synthetic detergents.
When dissolved in water, table salt dissociates into positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chloride ions. Soap, i.e. sodium stearate (I), similar substances, as well as sodium (II) alkylbenzenesulfonate behave in a similar way: they form positively charged sodium ions, but their negative ions, in contrast to the chloride ion, consist of about fifty atoms.
Soap (I) can be represented by the formula Na + and C17H35COO-, where 17 carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached to them are stretched into a winding chain. Sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate (Na + C12H25C6H4SO3-) has about the same number of carbon and hydrogen atoms. However, they are located not in the form of a winding chain, as in soap, but in the form of a branched structure. The significance of this distinction will become clear later. It is important for the detergent action that the hydrocarbon part of the negative ion is insoluble in water. However, it is soluble in fats and oils, and it is thanks to fat that dirt sticks to things; and if the surface is completely free of grease, dirt does not linger on it.
Negative ions (anions) of soap and alkylbenzenesulfonate tend to concentrate at the water / fat interface. The water-soluble negatively charged end remains in the water, while the hydrocarbon portion is immersed in the fat. For the interface to be as large as possible, the fat must be present in the form of tiny droplets. As a result, an emulsion is formed - a suspension of droplets of fat (oil) in water (III).
If there is a film of fat on a hard surface, then on contact with water containing a detergent, the fat leaves the surface and passes into the water in the form of tiny droplets. Soap and alkylbenzenesulfonate anions are found at one end in water and at the other end in fat. The dirt retained by the fat film is removed by rinsing. So in a simplified form, you can imagine the action of detergents.
Any substance that tends to collect at the oil-water interface is called a surfactant. All surfactants are emulsifiers because they promote the formation of an oil-in-water emulsion, i.e. "Mixing" oil and water; they all have detergent properties and form foam - after all, foam is like an emulsion of air bubbles in water. But not all of these properties are expressed in the same way. There are surfactants that foam abundantly but are mild detergents; there are also those that hardly foam, but are excellent detergents. Synthetic detergents are synthetic surfactants with extra high cleaning power. In the industry, the term "synthetic detergent" generally means a composition comprising a surfactant, bleaches and other additives.
Soaps, alkylbenzenesulfonates and many other detergents, where the anion dissolves in fats, are called anionic. There are also surfactants in which the cation is fat-soluble. They are called cationic. A typical cationic detergent, alkyldimethylbenzylammonium (IV) chloride, is a quaternary ammonium salt containing nitrogen bound to four groups. The chloride anion always remains in water, therefore it is called hydrophilic; hydrocarbon groups associated with positively charged nitrogen are lipophilic. One of these groups, C14H29, is similar to the long hydrocarbon chain in soap and alkylbenzenesulfonate, but attached to a positive ion. Such substances are called "reverse soaps". Some of the cationic detergents are highly antimicrobial; they are used in detergents intended not only for washing, but also for disinfection. However, if they cause eye irritation, then when they are used in aerosol formulations, this circumstance should be reflected in the instructions on the label.
Another type of detergent is non-ionic detergents. The fat-soluble group in the detergent (V) is something like the fat-soluble groups in alkylbenzenesulfonates and soaps, and the remainder is a long chain containing many oxygen atoms and an OH group at the end, which are hydrophilic. Generally, non-ionic synthetic detergents show high detergency but weak foam.
Surfactants (Synthetic Surfactants) are a large group of compounds that differ in their structure and belong to different classes. These substances are able to adsorb at the interface and consequently lower the surface energy (surface tension). Depending on the properties exhibited by surfactants when dissolved in water, they are divided into anionic substances (the active part is the anion), cationic (the active part of the molecules is a cation), ampholytic and nonionic, which do not ionize at all.
It is no secret that the main active components of washing powders are surfactants. In truth, these active chemical compounds, entering the body, destroy living cells by disrupting the most important biochemical processes.
Synthetics are the future? Apparently yes. In confirmation of this, surfactants are being improved more and more, there are so-called nonionic surfactants, the biodegradability of which reaches 100%. They are more effective at low temperatures, which is important for gentle washing modes. Since many man-made fibers cannot withstand high temperatures... In addition, wash more cold water saves energy, which is more relevant every day. Unfortunately, most non-ionic surfactants are liquid or pasty and are therefore used in liquid and pasty detergents. Nonionic surfactants are introduced into powdered SMS in the form of additives 2-6% wt. An important advantage of synthetic surfactants is that they do not form calcium and magnesium salts that are poorly soluble in water. This means that they wash equally well in both soft and hard waters. The concentration of synthetic detergents, even in soft water, can be much lower than soaps made from natural fats.
Probably, among the products of household chemicals, we are most familiar with synthetic detergents. In 1970, for the first time worldwide, more synthetic detergents (CMCs) were produced than conventional natural soaps. Every year its production decreases, while the production of SMS is constantly increasing.
For example, in our country, the dynamics of growth in the production of SMS can be displayed by the following data: in 1965 they produced 106 thousand tons, in 1970 - 470 thousand tons, and in 1975 almost one million tons will be produced.
Why is the production of natural, sound, soap, which has served people with faith and truth for many years, so declining? It turns out he has a lot of flaws.
Firstly, soap, being a salt of a weak organic acid (more precisely, a salt formed by a mixture of three acids - palmitic, margaric and stearic) and a strong base - caustic soda, hydrolyzes in water: sya (that is, it breaks down) into an acid and alkali. The acid reacts with hardness salts and forms new, already water-insoluble salts, which fall out in the form of a sticky white mass on clothes, hair, etc. This not very pleasant phenomenon is well known to everyone who tried to wash or wash in hard water.
Another product of hydrolysis, alkali, destroys the skin (defatting it, leading to dryness and the formation of painful cracks) and reduces the strength of the fibers that make up various tissues. Polyamide fibers (nylon, nylon, perlon). are destroyed by soap especially intensively.
Secondly, soap is a relatively expensive product, since its production requires food raw materials - vegetable or animal fats.
There are other, less significant disadvantages of this substance, which, until recently, was completely irreplaceable in everyday life.
In contrast to natural soaps, synthetic detergents have undeniable advantages: greater detergency, hygiene and economy.
On the international market, there are now about 500 names of synthetic detergents produced in the form of powders, granules, flakes, pastes, and liquids.
The production of SMS gives a great national economic effect. Experiments have shown that one ton of synthetic detergents replaces 1.8 tons of 40 ° / o-th laundry soap made from valuable food raw materials. It is estimated that one ton of SMS saves for Food Industry 750 kg of vegetable fat.
The use of SMS in the household can reduce labor costs for hand and machine washing by 15-20% * At the same time, the strength and original consumer properties of the fabric (whiteness, color brightness, elasticity) are preserved much better than when using ordinary laundry soap.
It must be said that SMS is not only intended for washing clothes. There is special means for washing and cleaning various household items, synthetic toilet soaps, hair shampoos, foam detergents for baths, into which biostimulants are introduced that have a tonic effect on the body.
The main component of all these products is a synthetic surfactant (surfactant), the role of which is the same as that of organic salt in ordinary soap.
However, chemists have long known that an individual substance, no matter how universal it may be, cannot satisfy all the requirements imposed on it. Small additions of other accompanying substances help to discover very useful qualities in this basic substance. That is why all modern SMS are not individual surfactants, but compositions that may include bleaches, fragrances, foam regulators, biologically active substances and other components.
The second most important component of modern synthetic detergents are condensed, or polymer, phosphates (polyphosphates). These substances have a number of useful properties: they form water-soluble complexes with the metal ions present in water, thereby preventing the appearance of insoluble mineral salts that arise during washing with ordinary soap; increase the washing activity of surfactants; prevent the back sedimentation of suspended dirt particles on the washed surface; cheap to manufacture.
All these properties of polyphosphates make it possible to reduce the content of the more expensive main surfactant component in the CMC.
As a rule, any synthetic detergent contains a fragrance - a substance with a pleasant smell, which is transmitted by the laundry when using SMS.
Almost all CMCs contain a substance called sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. It is a high molecular weight synthetic product that is soluble in water. Its main purpose is to be, along with phosphates, an antiresorptive, i.e. prevent dirt from settling on already washed fibers.
Most of them have several advantages over soap, which has long been used for this purpose. For example, surfactants dissolve and foam well even in hard water. The potassium and magnesium salts formed in hard water do not impair the detergent effect of surfactants and do not form a white bloom on the hair.
The main active ingredients of all washing powders, the so-called. Surfactants (surfactants) are extremely active chemical compounds. Having some chemical affinity with certain components of human and animal cell membranes, surfactants, when ingested, accumulate on cell membranes ah, covering their surface with a thin layer and at a certain concentration can cause disruption of the most important biochemical processes occurring in them, disrupt the function and the very integrity of the cell.
In experiments on animals, scientists have found that surfactants significantly change the intensity of redox reactions, affect the activity of a number of important enzymes, and disrupt protein, carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Surfactant anions are especially aggressive in their actions. They are capable of causing gross violations of immunity, the development of allergies, damage to the brain, liver, kidneys, lungs. This is one of the reasons why countries Western Europe strict restrictions have been imposed on the use of a-surfactants (anionic surfactants) in washing powder formulations. In the best case, their content should not exceed 2-7%. In the West, more than 10 years ago, they abandoned the use of powders containing phosphate additives in everyday life. In the markets of Germany, Italy, Austria, Holland and Norway, only phosphate-free detergents are sold. In Germany, the use of phosphate powders is prohibited by federal law. In other countries, such as France, Great Britain, Spain, in accordance with government decisions, the content of phosphates in SMS is strictly regulated (no more than 12%).
The presence of phosphate additives in powders leads to a significant increase in the toxic properties of a-surfactants. On the one hand, these additives create conditions for a more intensive penetration of a-surfactants through intact skin, promote increased defatting of the skin, more active destruction of cell membranes, and sharply reduce the barrier function of the skin. Surfactants penetrate into the microvessels of the skin, are absorbed into the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. This leads to a change physical and chemical properties the blood itself and impaired immunity. A-surfactants have the ability to accumulate in organs. For example, 1.9% of the total amount of a-surfactants deposited on unprotected skin in the brain, 0.6% in the liver, etc. They act like poisons: in the lungs they cause hyperemia, emphysema, in the liver they damage the function of cells, which leads to an increase in cholesterol and intensifies the phenomena of atherosclerosis in the vessels of the heart and brain, disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses in the central and peripheral nervous systems.
But this does not exhaust the harmful effect of phosphates - they pose a great threat to our environment. After washing with waste water in water bodies, phosphates are taken to act as fertilizers. The "harvest" of algae in reservoirs begins to grow by leaps and bounds. Algae, decomposing, emit huge amounts of methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, which destroy all life in the water. The overgrowth of water bodies and the clogging of slowly flowing waters leads to gross disturbances in the ecosystems of water bodies, deterioration of oxygen exchange in the hydrosphere and creates difficulties in providing the population with drinking water. For this reason, in many countries, the use of phosphate SMS has been legally prohibited.
The traditional disadvantage of surfactants is stiffness, which is expressed in skin irritation, dryness and discomfort after using shampoo or shower gel.
The skin of the hands, in contact with active chemical solutions of washing powders, becomes the main conductor for the penetration of hazardous chemical agents into the human body. A-surfactants actively penetrate even through intact skin of the hands and, with the assistance of phosphates, enzymes and chlorine, intensively disinfect it. The restoration of normal fat and moisture content of the skin occurs no earlier than 3-4 hours, and with repeated use due to the accumulation of the harmful effect, the lack of fatty coating of the skin is felt within two days. The barrier functions of the skin are reduced, and conditions are created for the intensive penetration of not only a-surfactants into the body, but also any toxic compounds - bacteriological toxins, heavy metals, etc. After several washings with phosphate powders, skin inflammations - dermatitis often develop. A pipeline of pathological immune responses is launched.
3.10. Types and types of surfactants, their properties. Signs of surfactant use. Consequences of using surfactants
All chemical compounds of plant or synthetic origin that directly affect the mental state of a person are usually called psychoactive. As a rule, those of them that cause pleasant or unusual states of consciousness become the subject of abuse.
If the abuse of any psychoactive substance becomes especially dangerous for human health and society, causing tangible economic losses, then a special legislative act recognizes it as narcotic, therefore a drug is not only a medical concept, but also a social and legal concept. Some medicinal products, as well as substances containing aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohol, nicotine, which are not subject to drug legislation and are used to achieve a comfortable mental state, are called toxic substances .
In our country, narcotic drugs include:
opium and its derivatives (morphine, heroin, promedol, codeine, synthetic opiates - morphine, methadone);
some psychostimulants (cocaine and its derivatives, phenamine, pervitin, ephedrone and other amphetamines);
hallucinogens or psychedelic drugs: hashish, anasha, marijuana, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), psilocybin (finocyclidine);
psychostimulants with a hallucinogenic component (ecstasy).
Toxic agents:
various solvents, varnishes, adhesives containing aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene);
sleeping pills medications(seduxen, relanium, reladorm, tazepam, luminal, phenobarbital);
hallucinogenic medications (cyclodol, parkopan, tremblex, ketamine, calypsol).
Alcohol, tobacco.
Opiates
Drugs with a sedative, "inhibitory" effect. This group includes natural and synthetic substances containing morphine-like compounds. In most cases, they are administered intravenously. All natural drugs of the opium group are obtained from the poppy. The most widespread opium drug in St. Petersburg is heroin. This substance, derived from morphine, was created from the very beginning as a drug. Therefore, along with a very strong and pronounced narcotic effect, it has an extremely high toxicity and the ability to quickly (2-3 months) form physical dependence. Heroin is smoked, snorted, and injected.
There are two types of heroin in the illicit trade - white and brown. The first is used for injections, the second is for taking in other ways. The unit for measuring the mass of this drug on the market is “check”, 0.1 gram. This amount of heroin is enough to make several doses. Checks are usually packaged by drug dealers in small pieces of foil. Along with heroin, several other opiate drugs are distributed in St. Petersburg:
poppy straw- crushed and dried parts of poppy stems and capsules (poppy seeds do not contain narcotic active substances). The straw is used to prepare a solution of acetylated opium;
acetylated opium- a ready-to-use solution obtained as a result of a series of chemical reactions. Has a dark brown color and a characteristic vinegar smell;
raw opium- specially processed poppy plant juice, used as a raw material for the preparation of a solution of acetylated opium. A substance that resembles plasticine. Color - from white to brown. Sold in small ball pieces;
methadone is a strong synthetic drug of the opium group. Sold as a white powder or ready-to-use solution. In some countries it is approved as a means of substitution therapy in the treatment of opium addiction. It is completely banned in Russia.
General properties of opiates.
They cause a state of euphoria, calmness, peace. The reaction to the first reception can be different - from an acute desire to repeat the reception, to poisoning and extremely negative sensations. By being involved in metabolic processes, they lead to a rapid (sometimes after one or two) techniques the emergence of the strongest mental and physical dependence.
It has an extremely destructive effect on the body.
Signs of intoxication with drugs of the opium group:
pallor of the skin,
unusual sleepiness at various times,
slow, "stretched" speech, often "lagging behind" the topic and direction of the conversation,
good-natured, docile, helpful behavior,
a person seems to be in thought,
strives for solitude in silence, in the dark, despite the time of day,
a very narrow pupil that does not respond to changes in lighting,
decreased visual acuity in low light,
decrease in pain sensitivity.
The effect of the drug lasts for 6-12 hours. An essential component of opium addiction is the emergence physical dependence... If the use of opiates has already entered the system (it has become periodic, with certain intervals between taking the drug), then after the cessation of the effect of the drug, withdrawal symptoms begin to develop.
Its manifestations:
anxiety, tension, irritability;
in a mild form in the presence of weak physical dependence, it resembles an acute respiratory disease, suddenly begins and also suddenly disappears;
a sharp and strong dilation of the pupils, redness of the eyes, lacrimation, runny nose and sneezing;
stomach upset;
insomnia;
aches and severe pain all over the body (for experienced drug addicts).
Signs of systematic use include:
sharp and frequent changes in mood and activity, regardless of the situation,
violation of sleep and wakefulness,
unnaturally narrow pupils
unexplained frequent ailments, cyclic change of states characterizing intoxication and withdrawal.
Opium drugs are widespread in our city. With the advent of heroin, access to opium drugs has become much easier - unlike other drugs in this group, heroin is sold ready-to-use. Opium addiction is one of the most difficult and dangerous. It is very difficult to treat.
Consequences of using opiates:
the huge risk of contracting AIDS and hepatitis due to the use of shared syringes,
liver damage due to the poor quality of drugs: acetic anhydride remains in them, which is used in preparation,
venous disease
tooth decay due to impaired calcium metabolism,
impotence,
a decrease in the level of intelligence,
the danger of an overdose with serious consequences, up to death, is very high.
Social consequences:
destruction of social ties, loss of family, friends, loss of job, personality degradation, weakening of will, loss of freedom and complete submission to the drug.
Cannabis preparations (cannabinoids)
Hemp grows in regions with warm temperate climates. The farther south the plant is grown, the greater the narcotic effect is caused by the drug made from it. Hemp comes to our city mainly from Ukraine, from Central Asia and from the south of Russia.
Marijuana. The dried or undried green herbaceous portion of the hemp. Light, greenish-brown milled leaves and flowering tops of hemp. Can be compressed tightly into lumps. This drug is smoked, mixed with tobacco. Most often they use empty cartridges from Belomor. Marijuana is sold in St. Petersburg most often in a dried, highly crushed form. Packaged, as a rule, in matchboxes or similar containers.
Hashish... The mixture of resin, pollen and crushed hemp tops is a dark brown, dense substance, similar to plasticine. Hashish is smoked using special devices. It is rarely found in St. Petersburg in its pure form. The effect of the drug begins 10-30 minutes after smoking and can last for several hours. All hemp derivatives belong to the group of illegal drugs and are completely banned in Russia.
Signs of using cannabis medications.
Not everyone gets the same sensations from using cannabis preparations. Along with very pleasant ones, extremely negative ones can also arise. It depends on the mood, general condition, individual characteristics organism. Characterized by a state of severe hunger and thirst, redness of the eyes.
Taking a small dose leads to pleasant sensations, relaxation, satisfaction. This condition may be accompanied by heightened perception of color, sounds, increased sensitivity to light due to greatly dilated pupils. In this state, it is sometimes almost impossible for an outside observer to recognize drug intoxication by behavior; only external signs help to do this.
When taking a large dose - lethargy, lethargy, confused speech in some can be combined with aggressiveness, unmotivated actions in others. For hashish intoxication, a state of unrestrained gaiety is characteristic. The coordination of movements is upset, the perception of the size of objects and their spatial relationships is impaired. For example, a drunk person walks sideways through a fairly wide door and bends down in a room with a high ceiling. Sometimes hallucinations can occur, which leads to the emergence of fears, panic. The characteristic smell of burnt grass remains in the room for a long time. Retains this smell and clothing.
Consequences of use.
As a result of long-term use, it is necessarily formed mental addiction... The rate of addiction formation and its severity may vary. different people: affects age, frequency of use, characteristics of the body.
In the addiction phase, smoking is not satisfying, but necessary. The lack of the expected effect leads to the fact that alcohol (along with the drug) or heavier drugs are used to obtain it.
The state of abstinence resembles a hangover, accompanied by irascibility, irritability, and sleep disturbances.
Psychostimulants
Drugs with a psychostimulating, "exciting" effect. Drugs of this group are very widespread in St. Petersburg. Their use is most dangerous in adolescence, since the devastating consequences for the psyche come very quickly.
This group includes substances:
amphetamines... In most cases, they are administered intravenously. These drugs are derived from drugs containing ephedrine (solutane, ephedrine hydrochloride). In nature, ephedrine is found in the ephedra plant. In our region, amphetamines are most commonly found in the following forms:
Ephedron - a ready-to-use solution obtained by a chemical reaction. Has a pinkish or transparent color and a characteristic violet scent.
Pervitin - a ready-to-use solution resulting from a complex chemical reaction. An oily liquid that has a yellow or transparent color and a characteristic apple smell.
Ephedrine - crystals white derived from the ephedra plant. It is applied in medicinal purposes, and is also used for the preparation of ephedrone and pervitin, most often by manipulating drugs. Ready-to-eat crystals of yellowish color. They are inhaled or smoked.
General properties of amphetamines.
They cause a state of euphoria, increased excitability. The reaction to the first reception can be different - from an acute desire to repeat the reception, to poisoning and extremely negative sensations. They are extremely destructive to the body.
Signs of use:
excessive physical activity,
talkativeness,
the activity is unproductive and monotonous,
there is no feeling of hunger,
disrupted sleep and wakefulness,
there is a strong sexual liberation.
The effect of the drug lasts 2-12 hours (depending on the type of substance). Mental and physical dependence is formed. Long-term use requires a constant increase in the dose of the drug.
Amphetamine addiction has the character of "binge" or "session" - periods of drug use are replaced by "cold" periods, the duration of which decreases over time.
The state of abstinence is characterized by severe depressive and dystrophic disorders. Increased drowsiness appears. Hot temper, spitefulness, aggressiveness are exacerbated. Over time, unfounded anxiety and suspicion appears. Suicide attempts are possible.
Consequences of using amphetamines:
nervous exhaustion
irreversible changes in the brain,
defeat of cardio-vascular system and all internal organs,
the huge risk of contracting AIDS and hepatitis due to the use of shared syringes,
liver damage due to the low quality of drugs - they contain iodine, potassium permanganate and red phosphorus, which are used in the preparation of drugs,
a strong decrease in immunity and, as a result, susceptibility to infectious diseases,
the danger of an overdose with serious consequences, up to death, is very high.
« Ecstasy " is a common name for a group of synthetic stimulant drugs. Some of them have a hallucinogenic effect. They are very popular all over the world. The first drug of this series was synthesized at the end of the last century. In the 30s it was widely used for medical purposes for the treatment of depressive conditions - in the USA, Sweden, Great Britain. Soon, due to the discovery of addictive and destructive properties of the drugs of this group on the functions of the central nervous system, its medical use was discontinued.
Animal studies have shown that even with short-term use, ecstasy kills the brain cells that produce serotonin, the chemical that the brain uses to control mood swings.
White, brown, pink and yellow tablets or multi-colored, often with pictures, capsules contain about 150 mg of the drug. In our city, they are distributed in many nightclubs and discos - it allows you to dance for many hours. Popular among schoolchildren, high school students.
Ecstasy is an expensive drug, and usually its users switch to the systematic use of heroin or amphetamines.
Intoxication symptoms.
The narcotic effect of the drug lasts from 3 to 6 hours. The central nervous system is excited, the tone of the body rises, endurance and physical strength increase. All reactions of the body are accelerated. Under the influence of this drug, the person who took it can withstand extreme emotional and physical stress, not sleep, and not feel tired. For the artificial "acceleration" of the body you have to pay: after the cessation of the effect of the drug, a state of apathy, depression, severe fatigue, and drowsiness is observed. This condition can last for several days, as the body needs to restore the expended strength.
The consequences of using ecstasy.
Psychic dependence quickly arises - without the drug, a person is not capable of productive activity. Over time, "swapping" is required to do quite normal work.
Eating leads to physical and nervous exhaustion, the body's resources are quickly depleted. The nervous system, heart, liver are severely affected. Long-term use leads to degeneration of internal organs. The drug affects the genetic code and future offspring. Exhaustion of the psyche leads to severe depression, up to and including suicide.
Medical data show: 70% of patients admitted to clinics with an initial diagnosis of acute psychosis took ecstasy; 80% of respondents suffer from sudden mood swings; 70% are obsessed with obsessions and regularly get depressed; 35% admitted that they have attacks of unmotivated panic fear.
Currently, a fairly large group of potential “ecstasy” users has formed among middle-aged schoolchildren - they are already at the stage of social addiction to the drug and are waiting for the opportunity to join the process of its use. This is part of the youth subculture.
Cocaine - fine powder of white color, depending on the variety, it can resemble soda ("pure cocaine") or washing powder ("crack"). When it comes into contact with the tongue, it makes it numb. Unlike other psychostimulants, cocaine is most often inhaled through the nose through a tube. The most expensive of all drugs.
The symptoms of intoxication and the effects of consumption are similar to those of ecstasy.
Hallucinogens
LSD. Synthetic drug. Colorless odorless powder or transparent odorless liquid. This liquid is impregnated with brightly painted paper or fabric. Then the impregnated base is cut into pieces - doses.
Psilocin and psilocybin.- narcotic substances with a hallucinogenic effect. Contained in toadstool mushrooms. Their appearance: pale beige color, thin, long and curved leg, pointed bell hat. They resemble false mushrooms. These mushrooms grow in large quantities in our region in August-October. The dried mushroom contains an average of 0.2-0.4 percent psilocybin. For the onset of a narcotic effect, it is enough to take 2 grams of dry mushrooms. Psilocybin mushrooms are most popular among middle-aged adolescents. The main danger of this drug is its availability.
Signs of drunkenness.
Increased heart rate, increased pressure, dilated pupils, hand tremors, dry skin.
Drug intoxication is accompanied by a change in perception outside world, impaired sensation of one's body, impaired coordination of movements. Self-control is completely lost.
Consumption leads to irreversible changes in the structures of the brain. There are mental disorders of varying severity, up to the complete disintegration of the personality.
Even a single dose of LSD can change the genetic code and permanently damage the brain. Mental health problems are indistinguishable from schizophrenia. The drug builds up in the brain cells. Staying there for a long time, it can even after a few months cause the same sensations as immediately after taking it.
Inhalants
This group includes narcotic volatile substances (VND). They are found in household chemicals: dyes, solvents, glue, gasoline.
LPND itself does not belong to drugs. An intoxicating effect is possible if the amount of the substance entering the body is very large. In this case, intoxication is one of the symptoms of LPND toxin poisoning.
The condition is characterized by the occurrence of hallucinations, inappropriate behavior, and impaired coordination of movements. When using inhalants, it is easy to get very severe poisoning with a fatal outcome.
With prolonged use of LPND, as a result of constant "feeding" of the body with toxic substances, complications develop quite quickly:
Toxic liver damage after 8-10 months;
Irreversible brain damage, development period 10-12 months;
Frequent and severe pneumonia.
The result - changes in character, mental retardation, decreased immunity. Long-term use leads to disability. LVND is mainly consumed by adolescents of primary and school age.
Surfactants are a wide variety of different chemical compounds that have different properties and varying degrees of health hazard. Therefore, it is stupid and not productive to consider that all surfactants are harmful.
What is surfactant. Where are surfactants used and how do they work?
The first part describing how surfactants work
In this article, we want to understand what specific substances are used by manufacturers of detergents. Thanks to this, we will be able to understand what is better to use in Everyday life, and what to look for when choosing shampoo or washing powder.
- Anionic surfactants are the most active and erase the best. These synthetic surfactants have low biodegradability and are absorbed through the skin. Therefore, in a detergent for human safety and environment there should be as few of them as possible.< 5%
- Cationic surfactants have antibacterial properties. They are toxic and poorly biodegradable. They are not added to detergents.
- Amphoteric surfactants exhibit the properties of either anionic or cationic surfactants, depending on the acidity of the medium into which they enter.
- Nonionic surfactants are less effective than anionic surfactants, but they are biodegradable and do not damage the skin. These are the surfactants that we would like to see in our detergents.
Washing powders
As part of synthetic washing powders, manufacturers do not write specifically what substances they use, they are limited to very general names:anionic-nonionic surfactants, phosphates, etc. Therefore, it is not possible to accurately determine the harmfulness of these ingredients. The approximate results are in the table.
| Safe surfactants | Hazardous surfactants |
| Ariel automatic | |
| <5% неионогенные ПАВ | 5-15% anionic surfactants |
| Eared nanny | |
| <5% неионогенные ПАВ | 5-15% anionic surfactants |
| Our Mom baby soap powder | |
| Sodium tallowate - sodium tallowate (animal fat soap)
Sodium Cocoate - Sodium Cocoate (Coconut Oil Soap) Sodium Palmitate - sodium palmitate (palm oil soap) |
|
| Persil Expert Sensitive | |
| 5% nonionic surfactants
5% soap |
5-15% anionic surfactants |
| Tide Automatic Color | |
| <5% неионогенные ПАВ | 5-15% anionic surfactants <5% катионныеПАВ |
I am glad that they have come up with a soap powder for children, which consists exclusively of natural ingredients. It is not scary to wash yourself with such a powder, not only to wash things. The question remains: How effectively does it wash soap without synthetic surfactants? The rest of the powders do not differ much in the presence of surfactants.
Shampoo
In shampoos, in contrast to washing powders and dishwashing detergents, they indicate not the type of surfactants used, but specific substances. Their list is very extensive. Here we see that some nonionic surfactants can be hazardous, but on the contrary, anionic surfactants are harmless.
| Safe surfactants | Hazardous surfactants |
| Bubchen - Bubchen - Shampoo for children | |
| Sodium salt of olefin sulfonates. (a-surfactant)
Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate (a-surfactant) Laureth-3 (Non-ionic surfactant) Irritating to eyes. |
|
| Gliss Kur - shampoo | |
| Cocamidopropyl Betaine (amphoteric surfactant)
Disodium cocoamphodiacetate (A mild amphoteric surfactant that does not irritate the eyes.) PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate (nonionic surfactant) Hydrogenated castor oil PEG-40 (nonionic surfactant) - non-toxic if there is no individual intolerance Laureth-23 (nonionic surfactant). |
Cocamide monoethanolamide (nonionic surfactant) is a highly hazardous substance Laureth-4 (nonionic surfactant) causes irritation on the skin, can be absorbed through the skin |
| Our Mom - baby shampoo | |
| Decyl Glucoside (Nonionic Plant Based Surfactant)
Cocamide DEA (non-ionic surfactant) - The substance itself is safe, but it can react with other components to form carcinogenic nitrosamines |
SLES Sodium laureth sulfate (a-surfactant) - Potential allergen |
| L'Oreal Elseve - shampoo | |
| Cocamidopropyl betaine (amphoteric surfactant) - conditionally harmless
Glycol distearate (synthetic nionogenic surfactant) Sodium Cocoate - Coconut Oil Soap Methyl Cocoate (Non-ionic surfactant) Glyceryl linoleate (vegetable surfactant, emollient) Glyceryl oleate (vegetable surfactant, emollient) |
SLES Sodium laureth sulfate (a-surfactant) - Potential allergen
Cocamide MIPA - (non-ionic surfactant) - in case of contact with eyes and prolonged exposure to the skin causes irritation |
As you can see, shampoo manufacturers do not skimp on an abundant variety of surfactants. They are trying very hard to rid our heads of fat. Therefore, if you have an allergic reaction to shampoo, it is not at all surprising and it will be very difficult to determine what exactly your skin has reacted to because of the “rich” composition of such cosmetics. Gliss Kur was very disappointed with the content of a highly dangerous substance, because I am the one who uses it.
Many chemicals are harmless by themselves, but they can react with other substances to form dangerous poisons. Therefore, never mix different detergents with each other, even shampoos.
Have you ever washed yourself with baby shampoo? It foams much worse than an “adult” one, and this is due to the fact that it contains several times fewer ingredients. The softest and most modern surfactants are used by Bubchen in his cosmetics for children.
Dishwashing detergents
As well as on the packaging of washing powders on dishwashing detergents, manufacturers limit themselves to the general name of the ingredients.Therefore, it is not possible to accurately determine the harmfulness of the composition of these products. The approximate results are in the table.
Fairy detergent has its own Wikipedia page, where specific substances are indicated.
| Conditionally safe surfactants | Conditionally hazardous surfactants |
| "AOS Balsam" | |
| <5% неионогенные ПАВ | 15-30% anionic surfactants |
| “Fairy Gentle Hands” | |
| <5% неионогенные ПАВ
lauramine oxide (non-ionic / cationic surfactant) |
5-15% anionic surfactants sodium laureth sulfate SLES (a-surfactant) - Potential allergen |
| Our Mom "Universal detergent for washing baby dishes" | |
| 5-15% nonionic surfactants | 5-15% anionic surfactants <5% амфотерные ПАВ |
| "Pemolux Aloe Vera" | |
| 5-15% anionic surfactants <5% амфотерные ПАВ |
|
| "Eared Nian" Gel for washing baby dishes | |
| 5-15% nonionic surfactants | 5-15% anionic surfactants <5% амфотерные ПАВ |
Most of all surfactants were in “AOS Balsam”, all other products are identical, including for children.
It is very difficult to deal specifically with each ingredient of detergents and it is practically impossible for an ordinary consumer, because he simply does not have time to study all this chemistry. Therefore, inspections should be carried out by state regulatory bodies. They must analyze the composition of the goods of daily consumption so that profit-seeking producers do not massively persecute the population. But while we are waiting for this, we will have to strain and, checking with the Internet, check for ourselves what we wash and wash our children with.
In this article, we indicated only the presence of harmful and harmless surfactants in detergents. But, for example, shampoos contain many different components, some of which are toxic, such as preservatives or alkali. The use of cosmetics with such substances is not recommended on a daily basis. Therefore, in other articles, we will analyze the full composition of some agent in order to show which substances you need to watch out for. You can suggest in the comments which two products we should compare for the presence of harmful substances next time.
conclusions:
- Washing powders and dishwashing detergents from different manufacturers generally do not differ significantly in the presence of active detergent components (except for AOS, which contains twice as many anionic surfactants). Therefore, the different price of these funds reflects only the marketing strategy of the manufacturers.
- The composition of shampoos of different brands really differs from each other. And despite the fact that it is very difficult to figure out a lot of these ingredients, you still have to do it. Indeed, in this household chemicals there are toxic substances.
- Surfactants surround us in our everyday life, we use their ability to wash off fat every day. There is no point in being afraid of them. Soap is the oldest and most common surfactant. It has brought many benefits to human life. Modern synthetic detergents are many times more effective than soap and should be used sparingly. Anything that can be washed with hot water should be washed this way. It is better not to pour or sprinkle detergents just in case and in reserve. Reducing their use is beneficial for health, nature, and the home budget.
Sources of information on the properties of chemicals:
