Toxicological Evaluation and Limit Values for ... - MiljÃ¸styrelsen

More documents

Recommendations

Info

pK a -value: NP: Estimated value 10.25NPE: -Stability: -Incompatibilities: -Odour threshold, air: -References: CIR (1983), EU-RAR (1998), HSDB (1997),IUCLID (1996), Superfos Kemi a/s (1997) Talmage(1994).1.3 Production and useNonylphenolNP is manufactured by reacting mixed nonenes with phenol. The nonylgroup, which may be branched or linear, may be linked to the ring eitherortho, meta or para to the OH group. In the EU, 78,000 tonnes of nonylphenolwere produced in 1994 (EU-RAR 1998).NP is used as a starting material in the synthesis of NPEs, and as amonomer in polymer production.Nonylphenol ethoxylateNPEs are manufactured by reacting NP with ethylene oxide. A polyethyleneoxide chain of any desired length can be built up by continued introductionof ethylene oxide into the reaction mixture. Such a reactionyields NPEs with a mixture of ethylene chain lengths, and the number ofethylene units used to describe the product is the average number(Swisher 1970). During base catalysed ethoxylation of nonylphenol, ethyleneoxide preferentially reacts with the free nonylphenol and onlywhen this has all reacted do longer ethylene oxide chains form. Nonylphenolethoxylates have much narrower homologue distributions thanalcohol ethoxylates (ICI datasheet for Synperonic NP surfactants).880 million pounds (4 mio metric tonnes) of alkyl phenol ethoxylates areused annually throughout the world. 80-85% are sold as nonylphenolethoxylate (NPE), over 15% as octylphenol ethoxylate, and 1% each asdinonylphenol and dodecylphenol ethoxylates (Anonymous 1997).In the EU, 109,808 tonnes of nonylphenol ethoxylates were produced in1994 (EU-RAR 1998).NPEs are non-ionic surfactants. They are used industrially, as ingredientsin institutional cleaners and detergents, and in household cleaning andpersonal-care products. Industrially, NPEs are used for emulsion polymerisationand polymer stabilisation, textile processing, in agriculturalchemicals, pulp and paper processing, metal and mineral processing,latex paints, wetting agents and emulsifiers, foaming agents, inks, adhesives,and pharmaceuticals (Anonymous 1997).6
1.4 Environmental occurrenceNP and NPE are not known to exist in nature.NP is released to the environment from production and use as a chemicalintermediate, in the polymer industry, and as nonylphenol itself. Themajor part (95%) is released to water. The proportion released to air islow (1%), while approximately 4% is released to soil. Further, NP is releasedfrom NPE. NP has a low vapour pressure, a low water solubility,and has a strong tendency to adsorb to soils and sediments.NPE is primarily released to the environment as a result of use. As forNP, the major part (85%) is released to water, while the release to soilamounts to 13%, and to air 2.5% (EU-RAR 1998).AirNP: NP has not been measured in the atmosphere (EU-RAR 1998).NPE: No data have been found.WaterNP has been found in surface water, sea water, and ground water (datafrom Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA, and Croatia). A typical valuewas 1 µg/l, and the highest value measured was 180 µg/l (River Aire,UK) (EU-RAR 1998).NPEs have been found in European surface water in concentrationsranging from below the limit of detection to 59µg/l (Talmage 1994).SoilIn sludge from waste water treatment plants, concentrations of NP in theorder of gram per kg dry weight have been found. In soil treated withsludge, 4.7 mg/kg has been found (EU-RAR 1998).In river sediments, NPE concentrations of the order of mg per kg dryweight have been measured (Talmage 1994).FoodstuffsNP was detected in raw beef samples, concentration not stated (HSDB1997).1.5 Environmental fateNP is not readily biodegradable. Several mechanisms of microbial aromaticring degradation have been reported, the most common being formationof catechol from phenol, followed by ring scission between oradjacent to the two hydroxyl groups (Talmage 1994).NPEs may degrade into nonylphenol. During degradation NPEs’ ethyleneoxide units are cleaved off the ethylene oxide chain until only short-chainNPE remain, typically mono- and diethylene oxides. Oxidation of theseoligomers creates the corresponding carboxylic acids. This leaves severaldegradation products: short-chain ethoxylates, their carboxylic acids, andnonylphenols (Anonymous 1997). The rate of biodegradation seems to7
Page 1 and 2: Environmental Project No. 512 2000M
Page 3 and 4: 1 General description1.1 IdentityNo
Page 5: with varying average lengths of the
Page 9 and 10: 2 Toxicokinetics2.1 Absorption, dis
Page 11 and 12: 3 Human toxicity3.1 Short term toxi
Page 13 and 14: 9 concentrated vapour atambient tem
Page 15 and 16: Table 3. Dermal LD 50 -values in ra
Page 17 and 18: Table 4a Number of animals with his
Page 19 and 20: with 40 ethylene oxide units, no ef
Page 21 and 22: *) In the original report, dose was
Page 23 and 24: Table 7 Results of studies in dogs
Page 25 and 26: Dermal contactNo data have been fou
Page 27 and 28: generation reproduction toxicity st
Page 30 and 31: 5 Regulations, limit valuesAmbient
Page 32 and 33: units is low, as LD 50 values varyi
Page 34 and 35: 7 EvaluationA study in humans invol
Page 36 and 37: mg/kg/day were found in rats. In do
Page 38 and 39: = 25 mg/kg soilNPEBased on the TDI
Page 40 and 41: is set at the limit value. A C-valu
Page 42 and 43: Odum J, Lefevre PA, Tittensor S, Pa

Toxicological Evaluation and Limit Values for ... - MiljÃ¸styrelsen

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?