Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS)
- Anionic surfactants
- CAS 68439-57-6
Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) (CAS 68439-57-6) appears in 2 of the 2,122 car-care products CarCareTruth tracks (as of August 2026). It is readily biodegradable.
Common anionic surfactant with no Prop 65 listing and no mixture-level GHS health classification at consumer concentrations. The concentrate is a skin and eye irritant, as anionic surfactants generally are, but at the sub-1% concentration used in a glass cleaner it is not an independent acute-health driver.
What it is
Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) is an anionic surfactant made by sulfonating alpha olefins. It provides detergency and foam in water-based cleaners and personal-care products and is valued for good hard-water tolerance and ready biodegradability.
Where it appears in car care
AOS is used in water-based wash and cleaning formulas as a primary or co-surfactant that lifts oily soils and provides foam. In a glass cleaner it contributes to soil removal alongside solvents and other surfactants.
Environmental note
AOS is readily biodegradable, which keeps its environmental persistence low. Its main environmental flag is acute aquatic toxicity in concentrated form; at the low concentrations used in a finished glass cleaner, and given that it biodegrades in wastewater treatment, the practical loading per bottle is modest.
Health & environment profile
- VOC
- no
- Prop 65 listed
- no
- Asthmagen
- no
- EPA Safer Choice
- no
- Aquatic toxicity
- yes
- Biodegradable
- yes
- Bioaccumulative
- no
- Persistent
- no
- Ozone depleting
- no
- Microplastic
- no
- PFAS
- no
- Env. score
- 4/5
Common questions about Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS)
- What is Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) used for in car care?
- Anionic surfactant providing detergency and foaming in water-based cleaning formulations
- Is Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) a VOC?
- No. Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) is not classified as a volatile organic compound (VOC).
- Is Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) on California's Proposition 65 list?
- No. Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) is not on California's Proposition 65 list.
- Is Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) biodegradable?
- Yes. Alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) has a confirmed biodegradable profile.
2 products contain this
Car Gods Arctic Storm Snow Foampre-wash
Magic Finish Car Glass CleanerProp 65glass-cleaner
Related
Health and environment notes translate the manufacturer Safety Data Sheet, the GHS classification, and authoritative regulatory listings (California Prop 65, EPA). Not medical advice. They describe the ingredient itself; whether a hazard applies to a finished product depends on its concentration and how it's used.