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3.5.2.     Nonylphenol
Sources and uses

Nonylphenol is a precursor in the production of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE), used in manufacturing as antioxidants, lubricating oil additives, emulsifiers and as solvents. It acts as a surfactant, such as in wetting agents or detergents, and can be found in paints, pesticides, imported textiles and personal care products. Where NPE was used in clothes, much of it seemed to enter the sewerage system following washing in domestic washing machines (Environment Agency, 2013). 

In urban waste water treatment, nonylphenol ethoxylates break down to nonylphenol.

Toxicity and EQS

Nonylphenol is toxic for aquatic organisms, particularly for algae and invertebrates (CIRCABC, 2005). It has endocrine-disrupting effects particularly on fish.

WFD status

Nonylphenol was reported as causing failure to achieve good chemical status in 8 Member States, mainly in western Europe. Half the failures were reported as being in France.

Emissions

Figure 3.7 gives an overview of the different reported loads.

About half the Member States, plus Norway, reported loads from industry and UWWTPs.  Trends for industry seem to be increasing, but those for UWWTPs seem to be decreasing. A few Member States reported diffuse sources for the WFD inventory, suggesting that unconnected households, stormwater overflows and run-off were the main pressure, but limited reporting makes assessment difficult.

Overall, it is difficult to be confident in the emissions data for nonylphenol, because extreme differences between Member States suggest different approaches to monitoring or quantification.

 Summary/Outlook

Restrictions on the use of nonylphenol and NPE should lead to a decline in emissions to water. Nonylphenol is not persistent (Mao et al, 2012) so it should cause fewer failures to achieving good chemical status in surface waters in future.

 

Previous comments

  • sommelin (Linda Sommer) 26 Sep 2018 14:04:49

    DE-UBA IV 1.2:

    'such as in wetting agents or detergents, and can be found in paints, pesticides, '

    What ist meant by pesticide? Plant protection products or biocidal products or both?

    Some uses of nonyphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates are now restricted under Annex XVII REACH, e.g. co-formulants in pesticides and biocides

    (https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/b91a8a69-f38e-4a35-ab7d-e475e5926988)

  • hjortthe (Therese Leonhardt Hjorth) 28 Sep 2018 09:56:03

    DENMARK

    Danish monitoring results show that nonylphenols are discharged from all types of point sources. In addition, the content of nonylphenols in sludge from UWWTPs indicates that a large amount of nonylphenols is removed from waste water during treatment at the UWWTPs. The monitoring results do not suffice to draw conclusions on a possible development in discharges (http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR142.pdf).

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