April 9, 1998

The CMA Alkylphenols & Ethoxylates (APE) Panel has introduced a new publication, The Alkylphenols & Alkylphenol Ethoxylates Review, which presents environmental and health effects findings on these widely used industrial compounds. The publication is available to the media, government officials, industry and other interested parties.

"We believe that readers of The Alkylphenols & Alkylphenol Ethoxylates Review will welcome this convenient new resource," said APE Panel Chairperson, Nancy Deibler. "It should help clarify issues raised about alkylphenol ethoxylates by providing what we feel are some of the best studies in the literature."

The eleven previously published, peer-reviewed studies in the first Review provide an overview of relevant environmental and health effects studies on alkylphenols (APs) and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs). The studies chosen reflect the APE Panel's judgment of the most relevant, scientifically sound and rigorously conducted research. The Review includes selected research on biodegradation, removal in sewage treatment, environmental monitoring, risk assessment, estrogenic activity, and mammalian toxicity of APs and APEs. A list of additional studies on APs and APEs is also included.

"The APE Panel is recognized for its knowledge about APs and APEs, including environmental and health effects," Deibler continued. "The Review provides an introduction to a large database of information on these substances. We have found that regulators, customers, and even the media would like more information in an accessible format. We hope this Review will help meet that need."

APEs are important to a number of industrial applications, including pulp and paper, textiles, coatings, agricultural pesticides, lubricant oils and fuels, metals and plastics. These applications comprise approximately 55% of the total APE market. The remaining market sectors are comprised of industrial and institutional cleaning products (30%), household cleaning products (15%) and other uses (<1%).

The APE Panel, a CHEMSTAR® Panel of the Chemical Manufacturers Association, is an association of manufacturers, processors, users and raw material suppliers whose purpose is to further an accurate and scientifically sound understanding of the human health and environmental profile of alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates.