The environmental fate and safety of nonylphenol ethoxylates

摘要

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE)< surfactants commonly used in many agricultural emulsion systems such as pesticides, industrial processes, and industrial and bousehold cleaning products, are perceived by some users as hazardous to the environment. The producers of NPE have a great deal of information on NPE environmental fate and effects which gives resassurace to the agricultural emulsifier industry and water auality regulators that hey pose minimal risk to the environment and human health. NPE, which have been tested throughly for reffects toward mammals and aquatic life, exhibit toxicity patterns similar to other widely used surfactants. They are highly treatable in aerobic biological tratment plantsl; studies in U.S. wastewater plants have shown up to 99.8