What are biodegradable and non-biodegradable detergents ?

Explanation

Detergnets which are easily degraded by bacterias present in the environment are called biodegradable. Examples of biodegradable detergents are ordinary soap and detergents obtained from linear alkly benzene (LAB) on sulphonation and neutralisation e.g., sodiumn-dedecylbenzene sulphonate.
Non-biodegradable detergents are those detergents with are not easily degraded by bacterias present in the environment. Detergents obtained from highly branched alkly benzene on sulphonation, followed by neutralisation are non-biodegradable. Slow degradation of such detergents leads to their accumulation. Effluents containing such detergents reach the river, ponds, etc. These persist in water even after sewage treatment and cause foaming in rivers, ponds and streams and their water gets polluted.