Ingredient - Sodium Sulphate

Sodium sulphate is the sodium salt of sulfuric acid, and usually appears in the form of a fine, white crystalline powder. We use this ingredient in some of our cleaning products as a surfactant carrier (inactive substance that acts as a vehicle for active substances).

Sodium sulphate can be produced as a synthetic by-product of other chemical processes, or can be derived from mineral sources such as mirabilite and brine, which is the form we use. It's highly soluble in water, and is commonly used in detergents, textile production and paper-making processes.

A safety assessment by the Human & Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) reviewed the health and environmental impact of sodium sulphate in household detergents, and found it to have a favourable ecological profile. “Due to the low aquatic toxicity and the natural recycling that occurs in the sulfur cycle, wide dispersive use of sodium sulfate does not present a major hazard to the environment although locally, peak concentrations may be damaging to un-adapted flora and fauna.” For human health, “Sodium sulfate is not irritating to the skin and slightly irritating to the eyes. Respiratory irritation has never been reported. Based on wide practical experience with sodium sulfate, in combination with the natural occurrence of sulfate in the body, sensitising effects are highly unlikely.”

Other names: Na₂SO₄, Sodium Sulfate, Disodium Sulfate, Exsiccated Sodium Sulfate, natrii sulfas

Chemical class: Inorganic Salts

REFERENCES

HERA. (2006). Human & Environmental Risk Assessment on ingredients of Household Cleaning Products: Sodium sulfate (CAS 7757-82-6). https://www.heraproject.com/files/39-F-06_Sodium_Sulfate_Human_and_Environmental_Risk_Assessment_V2.pdf

National Center for Biotechnology Information (2022). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 24436, Sodium sulfate. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Sodium-sulfate.