### agent | chemical agent:

Detergent
* All detergents are toxic to fish, even biodegradable detergents
  - contain similar types of cleaning ingredients
  - destroy the external mucus layers that protect fish from bacteria and parasites
  - perform better at higher temperatures in any quality of water
* Do use non-phosphate detergents.
* Most detergents are surfactants.
* Some detergents contain phosphates that promote algae growth
  - make feathers dry and brittle
* allow water to penetrate and wash away microbes.
* are a serious environmental hazard and pose a very real threat to fish
  - able to inactivate enveloped viruses by disrupting lipids that make up the envelope
  - an emulsifier, which means it penetrates oil and film and helps stains float off
  - excellent cleaners for most uses
  - harsh and actually pull oils out of leather
  - man-made degreasing agents
  - materials that aid in the removal of dirt or other matter from contaminated surfaces
  - pollutants that contain phosphorus which contribute to algae blooms
  - similar to soaps in that they also have long hydrocarbon tails and ionic heads
  - surface-active agents, or surfactants, because they act upon a surface
  - synthetic, which means that it is made up of raw materials
  - typically alkaline compounds with corrosive characteristics
  - usually slightly alkaline for safe removal of most contaminates
  - very toxic to fish and wildlife
* break up oil into smaller sizes so it can be more easily washed from clothes or dishes.
* can also contaminate bodies of water that can kill fish and other wildlife
  - make hair less manageable and cause it to lose body
  - only clean the surface area
  - pollute the water
  - pose a problem, however, especially if they contain bleach
  - reduce bearing corrosion by neutralizing the corrosive acids
* cause more child poisonings than any other household product.
* chemically neutralize deposits that form under high temperature conditions.
* clean better in hotter water
  - warm or hot water
* cleansing agent that is usually made from synthetic, or manmade, products.
* contain comparatively large molecules.
* containing perborates are particularly effective in destroying nerve agents.
* contains ingredients which help to improve drying.
* differ from soap because they contain petroleum distillates instead of fats or oils.
* has additives.
* have a similar structure to a soap molecule.
* help to clean metal surfaces and disperse deposits.
* inactivates the virus and reduces the danger of transmitting the virus to other plants.
* is also a chemical based petroleum, which removes dirt in saponifacation
  - different than soap
* is located in basements
  - supermarkets
  - washing machines
  - made of such molecules, and they like to break the interface up into little bubbles
  - scarce, forcing people to wash their clothing in water alone
* is the pollutant found most often in Fort Worth area creeks, rivers and lakes
  - salt of sulfonic acid, which then forms sulfonate ions in water
  - used for cleaning
  - very energy intensive and tends to pollute the environment with phosphates
* keep dirt and grease particles suspended in solution so they are completely removed.
* leave a residue that can spoil the waterproofing.
* lower the surface tension within the solution.
* play a major role in how colorfast the fabric remains.
* solubilize the integral membrane proteins by interacting with the phospholipid bilayer.
* tend to be very alkaline which is why they lift dirt and clean so well.
* wash away the oil film and make it difficult to remove shells from tubes.
* work better than soap in removing pesticides
  - by coating the proteins uniformly with negatively charged molecules
* work well in soft or hard water unless the water is especially hard
  - with hard water and scum that is formed on bathtubs and clothes