Groups Demand Action on Gender-Bending Chemicals
The Sierra Club, Environmental Law and Policy Center, UNITE HERE, Washington Toxics Coalition, Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations are petitioning EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act to request additional study, product labeling and restrictions on the use of nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates.
What are nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates?
Nonylphenol (NP) is an organic chemical used primarily to produce nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). The main use for NPEs is as a cleaner and detergent, but they are also used in some manufacturing processes and personal care products. When NPEs degrade, they break down into more toxic substances, including NP (the parent compound), which persist longer in the environment.
How widely are these chemicals used?
In 1998, 230 million pounds of NP were produced in the United States with demand increasing at about two percent annually. The chemical is used to produce almost 400 million pounds of products containing NPEs in the U.S. each year.
Are these chemicals found in the environment?
NP and its other breakdown products have been found in streams and rivers, drinking water, treated wastewater, sediment and sewage treatment plant sludge. A U.S. Geological Survey study found metabolites of NPEs present in over 61 per cent of tested U. S. streams. EPA has found an overall average concentration of alkylphenolic compounds (a family of chemicals which includes NP and NPEs) of 1 part per billion in treated drinking water.
What are the potential effects of these chemicals on our environment?
Even at levels often found in America's waterways, NPEs may hinder the reproduction, growth, and survival of aquatic life such as rainbow trout, winter flounder, salmon and oysters. Extensive research indicates that NPE metabolites disrupt the endocrine system and interfere with the hormones of fish and shellfish. Exposure to NPE breakdown products causes organisms to develop both male and female sex organs; increases mortality and damage to the liver and kidney; decreases testicular growth and sperm counts in male fish; and disrupts normal male to female sex-ratios, metabolism, development, growth, and reproduction.
What are the potential human health effects of these chemicals?
There is little published research concerning the human health effects of NP and NPEs. In September, 2006, however, research published in Toxicological Sciences shows that human placenta exhibits changes in response to NP in the first trimester. The result may be early termination of pregnancy and fetal growth defects. It also found that the effects of NP are greater and longer lasting than estrogen and can occur at concentrations 100-1000 times lower than those previously studied.
Do sewage treatment plants remove these chemicals from wastewater?
Sewage treatment plants remove some, but not all, NPEs. The problem is that treatment at wastewater treatment plants produces NPE metabolites that are more toxic, more estrogenic, and more persistent than NPE itself. They then enter the environment in the effluent that is released to surface water or groundwater and in sewage sludge. And because of sanitary and combined sewer overflows, there are billions of gallons of polluted wastewater that spill into our water without ever reaching any treatment at all.
What action has the EPA taken?
In December, 2005, U.S. EPA published final water quality criteria for nonylphenol. These criteria are required to protect aquatic life found in waters. In developing criteria, the EPA acknowledged that the outdated 1985-era procedures it relies on do not take into account recent research that would enable the agency to better protect aquatic life from the harmful effects of endocrine disruption. The current EPA criteria for chronic exposure is 6.6 parts per billion in freshwater and 1.7 parts per billion in saltwater, which are not low enough to address fully the endocrine-disrupting effects that have been observed. In addition, these criteria fail to account for all NPE metabolites.
Are other countries addressing the risks these chemicals present?
Canada set a limit of 1 part per billion of NP and NPE mixtures in freshwater and 0.7 parts per billion in saltwater. The European Union has limited the use of NP and NPEs to 0.1% by mass in industrial and institutional cleaners, domestic cleaners, textile and leather processing, cosmetics and personal care products, and a number of other applications. There are some exemptions to this restriction.
How is the private sector addressing these chemicals?
Some large detergent manufacturers, including Procter & Gamble and Unilever, for example, have publicly stated that they do not use NP due to environmental concerns. Wal-Mart has also asked its suppliers who use NP to find safer replacement chemicals.
Are there safer alternatives to nonylphenol?
Yes. According to the EPA's voluntary program encouraging the phase-out of these chemicals ("Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative") "safer alternative surfactants are comparable in cost and are readily available." See: http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/formulat/sdsi.htm
What does this petition ask the EPA to do?
The petitioners are requesting that EPA use its authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act to require manufacturers and processors to provide information to fill gaps in toxicity data which the EPA has acknowledged, including data on effects on laundry workers and the general population. In addition, the petition requests labeling of products containing NP and NPEs, restrictions on discharging these chemicals into poorly operating wastewater treatment plants, pollution prevention planning for facilities using large quantities of these chemicals, and a ban on their use in industrial and commercial detergents.
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