A safety assessment on sultones from alpha-olefin sulfonates in detergent products

摘要

During the manufacturing process of Alpha-Olefin Sulfonates(AOS),sultone derivatives can be formed as by-products,in particular when a hypochlorite bleachinq step is involved.Some sultones have been identified as extremely potent human skin sensitizers,and could potentially,if not thoroughly controlled in the AOS raw material,cause a risk for consumers during detergent use.Here we present the risks during the AOS manufacturing process and a risk assessment for the use of AOS in laundry detergents.Under certain consumer usage conditions,sultones can also be formed when an AOS containing detergent is co-used with a bleach product.Therefore,a thorough exposure-based risk assessment is strongly recommended prior to the use of AOS in a laundry detergent.Some appropriate risk management procedures on how to control the sultone formation and avoid a skin allergy risk for consumers could include a control of sultone levels in AOS raw materials by setting raw material and finished product standards for different sultones.