Nonylphenol Ethoxylates in the Environment

摘要

Environmental concentrations of nonylphenol (NP) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE) in wastewater, river water, estuaries, and sediments have been measured at many sites in North America, Europe, and Australia by several researchers including the APE Research Council, which we represent. NPE are a major family of nonionic surfactants widely used by many process industries and in detergents and cleaning products. About 300 kT/y are produced in North America, perhaps 600 kT/y worldwide. NPE are commonly present in wastewater and can often be detected in rivers receiving wastewater because of the high sensitivity of the analytical methods.