November 29, 2000

ALKYLPHENOLS BULLETIN
RESEARCH, ECONOMICS SUPPORT NPE IN PAPER

Scientific evidence increasingly supports the use of nonylphenol ethoxylate surfactants in pulp and paper manufacturing, APERC Chairman James Harton told paper industry executives at the 2000 Leadership Conference of the New York\Canadian Division of the Paper Industry Management Association (PIMA).

He noted that NPEs have a proven track record of more than 50 years as an efficient "workhorse" surfactant in the paper industry "due to their superior technical performance and exceptional cost-effectiveness." NPE surfactants enable the manufacture of high quality paper products by speeding the separation of cellulose fibers from wood during the pulping process, removing lignin and other contaminants from the pulp and enhancing the bleaching process. They are also used in the de-inking process during the recycling of wastepaper.

"Although some activist organizations have singled out nonylphenol and its ethoxylates on chemical 'hit lists,' the science supporting continued use of these compounds is compelling," Harton said. He noted that NPEs and NP are biodegradable, do not build up in the food chain, and are almost totally removed from the waste stream by well functioning sewage treatment plants. Environmental monitoring in Canada and the United States shows that any residual levels found in rivers and lakes are generally too low to pose any real risk to fish or other aquatic life.

In addition, a recent risk assessment of the environmental safety of NPEs and NP conducted by Environment Canada concluded that 'they pose no danger to the environment on which life depends.'

Unfortunately, Harton said, that same risk assessment found that a limited number of facilities, including some paper mills, release some NP and NPE to the environment at levels which may be a concern -- primarily via improperly treated or untreated wastewater.

But compliance with forthcoming regulations in Canada and the United States should not require the paper industry to reformulate away from NPEs, he said. "It is likely that most paper mills already treat their wastewater sufficiently to alleviate concerns about excessive discharge of NP and NPE." When all the costs of reformulation are taken into account, it can also prove unnecessarily costly for a company, he cautioned. He noted that APERC offers companies a resource to help avoid the cost of unnecessary formulation through the NPE Environmental Management Program, which provides guidelines and assistance for the treatment and environmental management of NPE surfactants.

Looking ahead, Harton pointed out that industry leaders will be increasingly called upon to make sustainable and environmentally sound business decisions while confronted with rapidly evolving science, a proliferation of unsubstantiated "chemical hit lists," increasing activist demands and uncertainty about which products will be targeted next. He encouraged the executives to monitor ongoing research, implement pollution prevention programs that will control the release of all chemicals to the environment, and to make informed decisions about "listed" chemicals and their potential alternatives.

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In addition to his chairmanship of APERC, Harton is Vice President of Rhodia Home, Personal Care and Industrial Ingredients, North America, based in Princeton, New Jersey.                                                                                                                              

 

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