For information, contact:

Stephan Lutter

WWF North-East Atlantic Programme

Am Güthpol 11 · D-28757 Bremen · Germany

Tel: +49 421 65846-22 · Fax: +49 421 65846-12

E-mail: lutter@wwf.de

Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPE)

UseNonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) have many uses,primarily as surfactants in detergent formulations, bothindustrial and domestic. NPEs are no longer used in theUK in domestic detergents, although, due to theirsuitability for liquid detergents, their domestic use hasincreased in the USA. NPEs arealso used as wetting agentsand as dispersants oremulsifiers in somep e s t i c i d eformulations.

The bulk of NPEsused reach thewater environmentvia the foul sewer system withan estimated 37%reaching the wideraquatic environmentundegraded, 46% reachingthe soil via sludge spreadingon agricultural land and 17% degraded or destroyed.NPE production accounts for 80% of global productionof alkylphenol ethoxylates (APE) with octylphenolpolyethoxylates making up most of the remaining 20%.

ToxicityNonylphenol (NP), a breakdown product of NPEs, has

been shown to mimic the action of thefemale hormone oestrogen.

Concerns have focussed on thepotential for NP and NPE to

cause feminisation inwildlife, such as fishexposed to NP and NPEcontaminated effluents,as well as being apotential factor in theincreasing incidence of reproductive org a n

disorders and decreasingsperm counts in

men. Whereas NPE isreasonably readily degradable,

its breakdown product NP is more persistent. NP has a

bioconcentration factor of between 13 and 410,dependent on species, with macrophytic algae, such asCladophora glomerata, particularly able tobioconcentrate nonylphenol.

Human exposureNPEs and an octylphenol ethoxylate (OPE) have beendetected in drinking water in New Jersey at levels of 15-29ng/l. However, the drinking water supply in theUK has not been regularly screened for alkylphenolethoxylates. It has been concluded that given the lowoestrogenic potency for alkylphenols in drinking waterit seems unlikely that small concentrations ofethoxylates would result in any detectable oestrogeniceffects in humans. Nevertheless, the disposal of sewagesludge contaminated with NP to agricultural land mayresult in another exposure route, through food tohumans. Nor has there been any study of the possiblysynergistic effects of exposure to low concentrations ofN P with other endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Wildlife exposureN P and other break-down products fromboth domestic andindustrial detergent usewill enter rivers andestuaries via the sewage

system. They are alsospread on agricultural land in sewage sludge and applied in certain pesticideformulations. Researchershave concluded thatvitellogenic effects seen inmale fish exposed to effluentin a number of UK riverswere likely, at somelocations, to have beencaused by alkylphenolicsubstances. The River Aire innorthern England was found tobe most heavily contaminated with NP. Research hasalso been commissioned by the UK Ministry ofAgriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) to investigatesources of alkylphenolic substances in the human diet.

European and International ActionIn 1992 the Paris Commission (PARCOM 92/8)recommended that all contracting parties should:

• study NPEs and similar substances which lead to thedischarge of these substances to sewers or surfacewaters with a view to reducing these discharges;

• phase out the use of NPEs in domestic cleaning agentsby 1995;

Endocrine

Disrupting Chemicals:

Nonylphenol

Ethoxylates (NPE)

NPE

NPE

NPE

NPE

NPE

alkylphenols by 2000. This followsconcerns from the AgriculturalCouncil of Denmark at thecontamination of farmlandwith sludge containing NP.The Danish cosmetics andsoap industry has removed allAPEs from their products. Thereis also a Swiss Government ban onall APEs and the UK Soap and DetergentIndustry Association has recommended a voluntary phaseout of all APEs by its members. - On the negative side, inthe USA some companies have reported increased sales ofNPE due to its suitability for use in liquid detergents.

Reduction of InputsWWF recommends that the amount of NPand NPE releasedinto the environment should be reduced in line with theprecautionary principle, with a view to phasing out the useand discharge of NPE or NP to the environment. In mostcases this should not pose a problem as alternatives arealready available.

In relation to all EDCs, WWF believes that

• The OSPAR Commission should take immediate action tophase out and eliminate already identified endocrinedisruptors. Furthermore endocrine disrupting propertiesshould rank high under the prioritisation process forhazardous substances to be considered for such measures;

• Current toxicity tests need to be improved with re-testingof substances undertaken;

• Research needs to be adequately funded, prioritised andco-ordinated;

• An international task force needs to be set up to assess thepotential effects of hormone disrupting chemicals andopportunities to reduce their use;

• The European Commission should establish a unit orworking group on endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Text prepared by Guy Linley-Adams

References/Further Reading:Environment Agency for England and Wales (1998) Endocrinedisrupting substances in the environment: what should be done?Consultative Report. Environmental Issues Series.

Rapporteur Country UK (1998) Draft Risk Assessment Report onNonylphenol following Council Regulation EEC/793/93.

WWF Canada (1997) A Review of Initiatives to Phase-Out NonylPhenol Ethoxylates in Europe.

WWF-UK (1996) Alkyl Phenol Ethoxylates (APEs) and RelatedCompounds. A Report by Gwynne Lyons.

WWF (1998) The Effect of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals onFish. Briefing for OSPAR MMC 1998.

• phase out the use of NPEs in industrial cleaning agents by2000;

• exercise care in ensuring the replacement materials for thecurrent use of NPEs are less damaging to the aquaticenvironment;

• report on progress in 1994, 1997 and 2000 and toexchange information on acceptable substitutes.

The 1995 Ministerial Declaration on the Protection of theNorth Sea at Esbjerg specifically highlighted EDCs andrequested the Oslo and Paris Commissions (OSPAR) andthe European Commission to “adopt necessary measures”by the year 2000. Specifically, the Esbjerg Declaration atthe end of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on the Protectionof the North Sea required signatories to substitute NP, NPEand related substances with less-hazardous alternativeswhere available.

In 1997, the United Nations Economic Commission forEurope (UNECE) negotiated a Protocol on PersistentOrganic Pollutants to focus initially on 15 or so groups orsubstances, some of which are EDCs. However by nomeans all identified EDCs are covered by this Protocol.

The Danish Government appears to be acting faster thanmost, proposing to ban the production and use of

UK Case StudyIn 1992, 18,000 tonnes of NPE were made and used inthe UK. NPE is discharged to UK rivers from the wooltreatment industry with up to 400 tonnes per year usedin this industry alone. This has been significant inprompting action by the Environment A g e n c y,particularly in relation to the effects on fish seen in theRiver Aire. Researchers concluded that vitellogeniceffects seen in male fish exposed to effluent in a numberof UK rivers were likely, at some locations, to have beencaused by alkylphenolic substances. The River Aire wasfound to be most heavily contaminated with NP.

In January 1998, the Environment Agency for Englandand Wales called for unilateral action from industry tominimise the entry of known or potential endocrinedisruptors to the environment by phasing out the use ofexisting products and developing substitutes. T h eAgency specifically cites nonylphenols. The Agencysuggested identifying potential endocrine disruptingchemicals (EDCs), developing a complete set ofenvironmental quality standards which take into accountendocrine disrupting activity, using Integrated PollutionControl and the new Integrated Pollution Prevention andControl (IPPC) Directive to minimise the discharge ofEDCs by industry and carrying out further research tolook at the effects of EDCs on wildlife.

Following this, in February 1998, the House ofCommons Environment Sub-Committee called on thewater industry in particular to carry out more research as“a matter of highest priority” to establish whichsubstances within effluents are responsible for hormone

disruption.

NPE