Environmental Impacts of Biosurfactants from a Life Cycle Perspective: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Biosurfactants are considered as an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional fossil-derived and chemically produced surfactants. Their production pathways, physicochemical properties, and applications are widely researched and discussed in literature. In this context, investigating the different impacts from the entire life cycle of biosurfactants is important to understand and mitigate potential environmental hotspots. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an internationally accepted and standardized methodology to analyze the environmental impacts of products from a holistic view. Therefore, this study provides a detailed overview of existing LCA studies of biosurfactants by means of a systematic literature research. The focus specifically lies on articles that investigated microbial biosurfactants. However, the systematic approach used ensured a broader overview related to bio-based surfactants as well. Furthermore, two related topics, ecotoxicity and biodegradability of biosurfactants, were identified and discussed based on the search findings. After screening over 2,500 documents using Scopus and Google Scholar, six relevant LCA articles of biosurfactants could be identified. The identified articles are divided into LCA studies of alkyl polyglycosides, chemically produced bio-based surfactants, and LCA studies of microbial biosurfactants, their content analyzed and discussed in context. In conclusion, the number of available LCA studies is very limited and their results are often not comparable. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this review is the first of its kind to provide a detailed overview of LCA studies of biosurfactants. Consequently, the need for implementing more LCA studies becomes clear. Graphical Abstract

Unlocking the Potential of Fermentation in Cosmetics: A Review

“…That is why rigorous characterization and subsequent evaluation of their interaction with the environment is essential for successful commercialization [132]. A systematic study performed by Briem et al highlighted the importance of conducting more LCAs to ensure the green credentials of bio-based surfactants [133].…”

A comprehensive review on production of bio-surfactants by bio-degradation of waste carbohydrate feedstocks: an approach towards sustainable development

“…Specifically the biocompatible, low toxic and excellent biodegradable nature of bio-surfactant facilitates consumers for direct consumption (in pharmaceuticals, food or skincare cosmetics). 14–17 Thus bio-surfactant itself and its production process obeys the principles of green chemistry. 18,19 More recently the bio-medical advantages of these BSs in drug design and delivery have been reported by B. Das et al 20 Hence, in recent days these BSs are becoming popular in biotechnology products for industrial and pharmaceutical applications.…”

Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of Microbial Sophorolipid Fermentation

“…While sophorolipids are considered to have a lower environmental impact compared to conventional surfactants derived from petrochemicals due to their biodegradability, low toxicity, and renewable origin, the high costs of raw materials and production process have hindered their market entry [8]. However, there is a lack of evidence-based assessment of the environmental sustainability of microbial biosurfactant production processes [9,10].…”

“…Only a limited number of studies have investigated the environmental impacts of biosurfactant production [6,7,11]. The environmental impact of sophorolipid production is influenced by factors such as the fermentation substrate used, energy consumption, and generation of waste biomass during the different stages of the production process [9,11]. To evaluate the environmental impact of the production process and identify areas for improvement, life cycle assessment (LCA) can be conducted.…”