The susceptibility of a substance or an object to being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms is called biodegradability. Specifically, the rate at which detergents, pesticides and other compounds may be chemically broken down by bacteria and/or natural environmental factors is also known as biodegradability. This process of converting organic substance into simpler compounds like water and carbon dioxide is called biodegradation. Branched alkylbenzene sulphonates are much more resistant to such decomposition than are linear alkylbenzene sulphonates in which the long straight alkyl chain is attacked by bacteria. If the branching is at the end of the chain, the molecules are about as biodegradable as normal alkyls. Among the pesticides, the highly toxic organophosphorus types, are more biodegradable than DDT and its derivatives. Additives which can accelerate the biodegradation of polyethylene, polystyrene and other plastics are available. Soluble sugars formed from cellulose or organic acids formed during cellulose fermentation are examples of biodegradation. In the final stage of biodegradation, carbon dioxide (CO2), and ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) ions are formed from carbohydrates and proteins, respectively.
