Fatty alcohols (linear alkanes >C10 with a terminal hydroxyl group) occur naturally in most organisms but are also procuced as industrial chemicals from plants and petroleum or products such as detergents and cosmetics. Regardless of their origin, fatty alcohol residues eventually enter the marine environment. They are also generated in situ by freshwater and marine organisms. These long chain alcohols can be used as biomarkers due to their distinctive source allocation, although they have differential degradation rates across the range of chain lengths.

This well-illustrated book sets out the natural and synthetic pathways, sources and signatures of these compounds, along with their concentrations in the environment, their toxicity and their eco-toxicity. For the first time, environmental data are presented from many locations around the world, with the observed anthropogenic contribution to the environmental concentrations being thoroughly discussed. In consideration of the increased production of fatty alcohols, this book is an invaluable resource to researchers examining chemical in the environment and those interested in assessing the environmental impacts of these group of chemicals.

This book has been prepared in conjunction with the following organizations:

APAG is the sector group for the European producers of oleochemicals and allied products within Cefic (the European Chemical Industry Council)

AISE is the representative body for the soap, detergent and maintenance product industries in Europe

CESIO is the sector group representing the European produces of surfactants within Cefic

ERASM is the joint surfactant environmental research platform of AISE and CESIO

SDA is the trade association representing manufacturers of cleaning products and their ingredients and oleochemicals in the US

Content - Acknowledgements, About the Authors, Chapter 1 Definitions, Chapter 2 Biological Synthesis, Chapter 3 Occurrence in Biota, Chapter 4 Consumer and Cosmetic Product Uses and Production, Chapter 5 Environmental Transformations, Chapter 6 Analytical Methods, Chapter 7 Environmental Concentrations, Chapter 8 Using Fatty Alcohols as Biomarkers, Chapter 9 Multivariate Statistics, Chapter 10 Environmental and Human Safety Aspects of Fatty Alcohols, References, Subject Index