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Nonylphenols – A New Buzz Word From EPA

In January 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave Notice of Availability of a Draft Aquatic Life Criteria Document for Nonylphenol along with a request for scientific views.

What is Nonylphenol?

Nonylphenol (NP) is an organic chemical produced in large quantities in the United States. It is used as an intermediate chemical to produce Nonylphenol Ethoxylate (NPE) and Akylphenol Ethoxylate (APE) surfactants. These surfactants are widely used in industrial and domestic cleaning products and in industrial processes such as the production of pulp and paper, textiles, leather, paints and coatings, and metals.

Why is Nonylphenol a concern?

APEs and NPEs are water soluble and will biodegrade in biological wastewater treatment plants. Final effluents discharging to surface waters typically contain measurable amounts of the biodegradation intermediates, with NP being of most concern. NP is moderately soluble and somewhat resistant to natural degradation in water. In certain concentrations NP has been shown to cause endocrine disruptions in some aquatic species. Because of NP's chemical properties and widespread use as a chemical intermediate, concerns have been raised over the potential risks posed by exposure of aquatic organisms to it. For these reasons, EPA has developed draft ambient water quality criteria (WQC) for nonylphenol.

What does this mean to treatment plants and industry?

Once final, the WQC become guidance for states and tribes as they establish their water quality standard regulations. State and tribal decision makers have discretion to adopt approaches that differ from EPA's guidance on a case-by-case basis. If adopted, the WQC may form the basis for state water quality standards and become enforceable through NPDES permits or other environmental programs.

08/04