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Recent results have suggested that p,tert.-octylphenoxynonaethoxyethanol (OPE) has a high degree of degradability. These results have been confirmed and extended. The loss of response to cobalt thiocyanate under a wide variety of laboratory test conditions demonstrates that OPE will readily undergo bacterial attack. Significant loss of foaming and ethylene oxide in laboratory continuous and semicontinuous activated sludge units and septic tank-percolation field units demonstrate that the degree of degradation under reasonable conditions can be extensive. Tracer studies and oxygen consumption tests are used to support this conclusion. These results indicate that OPE should be adequately degraded in conventional sewage disposal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriostasis of treated fabric was evaluated directly by a colony count made on the treated fabric after impregnation with seeded agar containing triphenyltetrazolium chloride and incubation in a horizontal, suspended position in a petri dish.