The biodegradability of methyl ester sulphonates (MES) was found to be affected by the disodium salt (disalt) content. The higher the disalt content, the lower is the biodegradability of MES. Disalt has a lower surface activity and is sparingly soluble in water when compared to the monosodium salt MES. These characteristics lower the biodegradability of disalt when compared to the monosodium salt. The biodegradability of a commercial MES sample was found to be better than linear alkylbenzene sulphonates (LAS), thus offering an additional advantage for the commercialization of oleochemical-based surfactant