Production status, economic benefit and environmental impact of lanolin cholesterol

Abstract

The main pollutants in wool washing wastewater are lanolin and surfactants, which are difficult and expensive to treat. Lanolin, as a natural raw material widely used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, leather, and other fine chemical fields, has great economic value. The chief aim of this paper is to summarize the development status and indirectly environmental impact of lanolin derivatives, compare the cholesterol content data of lanolin samples commonly used in the world through experimental means, and provide guidance and suggestions for the raw material selection of lanolin cholesterol production plants in the future. The method used in this study is known as nuclear magnetic resonance: the author tests and compares the cholesterol standard sample and other 3 different unprocessed lanolin samples. The research has recorded valuable data about the unprocessed lanolin from Ningxia, China contains the highest amount of cholesterol. Therefore, the result of this study provides feasible advice for the lanolin cholesterol production factories when selecting the production’s raw material; also, the conclusive method of cleaning wool-washing waste water provides instructive idea for the factories that produce lanolin derivatives.