Alkylphenols (APs) and Alkylphenolethoxylates (APEOs)

Alkylphenolethoxylates (APEOs) are common surfactants used in the clothing, home textile and footwear industries. They are discharged by factories and released into the environment in end products, where they are difficult to decompose and cause serious damage to aquatic ecosystems. Studies are underway to phase out APEOs in textile production. The most important APEOs for the textile industry are nonylphenol ethoxylates and octylphenol ethoxylates due to their detergent properties. About 90 percent of the APEOs produced are actually nonylphenol ethoxylates. Alkylphenols are also degradation products, such as nonylphenols or octylphenols.

Both alkylphenols and alkylphenolethoxylates enter the environment through wastewater of different industrial areas, including the textile industry. Because they are very persistent in nature, they do not deteriorate easily in sewage treatment and therefore they are mixed into surface waters by factory wastewater. In addition, household washing of textiles is a geographically large source of APEO contamination. In many parts of the world, APEOs are already ubiquitous in the natural and urban environment due to high and widespread exposure.

The most important toxicological properties of alkylphenols are that they are endocrine disruptors (hormone-like). When alkylphenolethoxylates eventually break down, they form metabolites such as alkylphenols that are more toxic than the original APEO. APs are toxic to many aquatic organisms. It has estrogenic effects at concentrations in aquatic ecosystems. The life of fish and other aquatic organisms is affected, their numbers are reduced and ecosystems are disrupted. APs also impair human fertility and harm unborn children.

In general, a chemical's risk to human health and the environment is determined not only by its toxicity but also by the degree of exposure.

Those who use APEO-containing products and who work in production facilities are exposed to these compounds when handling chemical preparations, coming into contact with processing fluids, wastewater or processed products, or performing maintenance, sampling, testing or other procedures. Consumers, on the other hand, are exposed to these compounds during contact with APs and APEOs, agricultural products fertilized with sludge from wastewater treatment, household chemicals, pesticides, degreasers, paints and household cleaning products, and clothing and footwear.

Our organization also provides testing services for alkylphenols (APs) and alkylphenolethoxylates (APEOs) with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment, among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors.