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NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2000
Methods to be Standardized for Detecting Nonylphenols
A leading scientific standards organization is planning to standardize state-of-the-art methods for detecting trace environmental levels of nonylphenol and nonylphenoxyethanol compounds which are formed during the biodegradation of nonylphenol ethoxylates. The analytical detection methods will be the first standardized tests for these compounds.
Nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates are high value products commonly used in industrial and consumer detergents and cleansers, some plastics and many industrial applications. Their "down the drain" uses may result in their presence in wastewater streams and receiving waters. The standardized analytical detection methods will enable industrial processors and wastewater treatment plants to determine whether disposal and treatment practices are protective of the environment.
Studies to date indicate that when handled and disposed of properly, nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates are safe for the environment and that normal exposure does not pose a significant human health risk.
The new standards will be developed under the auspices of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the foremost developer of technical and analytical standards. Work will be conducted under ASTM Committee D19. ASTM is inviting representatives from the US Environmental Protection Agency, other federal, state and municipal agencies, contract laboratories and other experts to participate in a newly formed task group of the Subcommittee on Materials for Analysis for Organic Substances in Water.
"Manufacturers and users of nonylphenol and related compounds welcome a universal standard for environmental detection to help companies measure their environmental performance and monitor the efficacy of water treatment facilities," said Todd Wheeler, Task Group Chairman for the ASTM Subcommittee and analytical lab group leader at Schenectady International, Inc.
"Currently, there is no single authoritative standard for detecting these compounds," Wheeler noted. "The new standard will ensure that efforts to monitor for the presence of nonylphenol and its derivatives are as accurate as possible."
The Alkylphenols & Ethoxylates Research Council, which represents North American producers of these compounds, anticipates that the new analytical detection methods will be a key component of its NPE Environmental Management Program, which is being developed to enhance environmental stewardship efforts among producers and users of nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates. For more information about this new ASTM committee please visit www.astm.org. For more information on nonylphenol and its derivatives, please visit www.aperc.org.
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