Nonoxynols
Nonoxynols or nonylphenol ethoxylates are mixtures of nonionic surfactants used as detergents, emulsifiers, wetting agents, defoaming agents, etc. nonoxynol-9, the compound with approximately 9 repeating ethoxy groups, is a spermatocide, formulated primarily as a component of vaginal foams and creams.
Production
These compounds are produced by ethoxylation of alkylphenols. The precursor nonylphenol is derived from phenol and a mixture of nonenes.
Toxicity concerns
Concerns about the environmental impact of these compounds has increased since the 1990's. These surfactants have a mild to medium estrogenic function.[1] Consequently, this class of detergents has been effectively banned for commercial "down-the-drain" applications in Europe, and these compounds are not found in laundry detergents in the USA.[2]
References
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- ↑ Comparison of protein expression in plasma from nonylphenol and bisphenol A-exposed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) by use of SELDI-TOF. Larsen Bodil K; Bjornstad Anne; Sundt Rolf C; Taban Ingrid C; Pampanin Daniela M; Andersen Odd Ketil International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS) AS, Mekjarvik 12, N-4070 Randaberg, Norway Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands) (2006), 78 Suppl 1 S25-33.
- ↑ . [NOTE: this referenced article [1] does not state that these compounds are not found in US laundry detergents, only that certain companies have removed them from their products]"Going green", cover story in chemical and Engineering Letters, vol. 85, No. 5, January 2007
