 | This article's factual accuracy is disputed .(December 2021) |
Environmental impacts of cleaning products entail the consequences that come as a result of chemical compounds in cleaning products. These cleaning products can contain chemicals that have detrimental impacts on the environment or on people. [1]
Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) are widely used in household products such as detergents and all-purpose cleaning products. They are found in 55% of the household cleaning market. [2] They are susceptible to microbial or photochemical degradation into alkylphenols, some of which can be hormone-mimicking compounds. [1]
Triclosan (TCS) is a common households anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent found in soaps, detergents, and other disinfectants. [3] Of household products that contain TCS, 96% of the volume is eventually discarded down the drain. [3] Thus, TCS is mostly found in aquatic environments, and levels have been tested throughout the US to determine the amounts that are present in the environment. The most notable levels of TCS were found in wastewater (up to 26.2 μg concentration) and extremely high in biosolids found in sewage sludge (up to 35,000 μg concentration). [3] After this wastewater is treated, significant levels of up to 2.7 μg concentration of TCS are still found in water. [3] TCS poses an environmental threat due to its environmental accumulation and persistence, as it is impossible to be removed in its entirety. Overall, TCS is found in 57.6% of all rivers and streams tested throughout the US. In addition, TCS levels are transferred through the water into marine life. Other chemicals that come as a bi-product of TCS are known as degradation products. [3] During wastewater treatment, Methyltriclosan (MTCS) is produced as a result of methylation of TCS, which is not biodegradable and incredibly persistent throughout the environment. [3] In addition, the transformation of TCS during manufacturing leads to the production of dioxins into aquatic habitats. Dioxins have been proven to cause cancer as well as immense developmental issues in almost every vertebrate species. [4] Most notably, TCS has been found in aquatic snails and algae, with levels tested of 500μg kg−1 and 1400μg kg−1. [3] Similarly, MTCS has also been found to bioaccumulate in species, and in aquatic snails and algae, they were tested to have 1200μg kg−1. [3] Thus, the presence of triclosan in the water can pose immense threats to aquatic life as it bioaccumulates.
Products that are packaged in aerosol cans contain a chemical known as propellant gas. [5] Almost always, this propellant gas is called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). [5] CFCs have been proven to damage the ozone layer and caused the ozone hole. Thus, in 1996, CFCs were banned directly as a result of the detrimental environmental impacts. [6] This ban came as a result of The Montreal Protocol of 1989, which called for action to reduce and eliminate ozone-depleting substances. [7] Following the ban of CFCs, aerosols are now filled with hydrocarbon or compressed gasses, which have been linked to cause VOCs, which are associated with smog and air pollution. [6]
Phosphates are commonly used as a detergent in a wide array of cleaning products. [8] The most prevalent form of phosphates that are found in household cleaners is pentasodium triphosphate (PTSP). [8] PTSP and other phosphates are unable to be fully removed during wastewater treatment. It has been linked to eutrophication, which entails excessive growth of algae, which absorbs all of the oxygen in the water. [9] Due to lack of oxygen, all aquatic life forms ranging from plants to marine animals will die. Eutrophication is a very serious environmental hazard that can rapidly destroy marine ecosystems, making it impossible for aquatic life to survive in the future.
In terms of regulation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has headed the regulatory advancements in recent years. For example, in 1976, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was passed. [10] This act called for restrictions on some chemicals, mandatory ingredient reporting, and testing requirements. Some of the chemicals that were restricted included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, lead-based paint, and radon. [10] Section 4 of this act called for testing of chemicals to determine any detrimental impacts that could come as a result. A sector of the EPA focused on "compliance monitoring," which ensures that companies are following the guidelines that have been put in place by the TSCA. [10] PCBs have been found in de-dusting agents, so the TCSA has proven important in the mitigation of this chemical in household cleaning. However, the TSCA is primarily focused towards industrial application of chemicals.
In 1972, the Clean Water Act was passed, which regulates the wastewater standards and water quality expectations. [11] This act led to the implementation of the EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which requires permits in order to discharge pollutants into the water. [11] This allows for a much stricter regulation regarding the quantities of pollutants that can be discarded.
Alternative cleaning chemicals can be utilized in households without compromising its ability to clean effectively. The EPA has provided criterion for avoiding environmentally detrimental chemicals in household cleaning. They suggest choosing products with a low VOC content, biodegradability, and those that utilize renewable resources
With the aim of decreasing net efficiency, some brands of laundry detergent have been reformulated for use with cold water. By allowing the consumer to use cold water rather than hot, each load cuts back significantly on energy costs. [12] The EPA suggests using products that are designed for use in cold water to conserve energy. [13]
2-Butoxyethanol is a common glycol ether used as a solvent in carpet, hard-surface, glass, and oven cleaners owing to its surfactant properties. It is a relatively cheap, volatile solvent of low toxicity. [14] It has the further advantage of not bioaccumulating.
Surfactants are chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid. Surfactants may function as emulsifiers, wetting agents, detergents, foaming agents, or dispersants. The word "surfactant" is a blend of surface-active agent, coined c. 1950.
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. Water pollution results when contaminants mix with these water bodies. Contaminants can come from one of four main sources: sewage discharges, industrial activities, agricultural activities, and urban runoff including stormwater. Water pollution is either surface water pollution or groundwater pollution. This form of pollution can lead to many problems, such as the degradation of aquatic ecosystems or spreading water-borne diseases when people use polluted water for drinking or irrigation. Another problem is that water pollution reduces the ecosystem services that the water resource would otherwise provide.
Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent present in some consumer products, including toothpaste, soaps, detergents, toys, and surgical cleaning treatments. It is similar in its uses and mechanism of action to triclocarban. Its efficacy as an antimicrobial agent, the risk of antimicrobial resistance, and its possible role in disrupted hormonal development remains controversial. Additional research seeks to understand its potential effects on organisms and environmental health.
Parabens are a class of widely used preservatives in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Chemically, they are a series of parahydroxybenzoates or esters of parahydroxybenzoic acid. Parabens are effective preservatives in many types of formulas. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bactericidal and fungicidal properties. They are found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical/parenteral pharmaceuticals, suntan products, makeup, and toothpaste. They are also used as food preservatives.
Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction in which ethylene oxide adds to a substrate. It is the most widely practiced alkoxylation, which involves the addition of epoxides to substrates.
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is a United States law, passed by the 94th United States Congress in 1976 and administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that regulates chemicals not regulated by other U.S. federal statutes, including chemicals already in commerce and the introduction of new chemicals. When the TSCA was put into place, all existing chemicals were considered to be safe for use and subsequently grandfathered in. Its three main objectives are to assess and regulate new commercial chemicals before they enter the market, to regulate chemicals already existing in 1976 that posed an "unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment", as for example PCBs, lead, mercury and radon, and to regulate these chemicals' distribution and use.
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes. They are toxic chemicals that adversely affect human health and the environment around the world. Because they can be transported by wind and water, most POPs generated in one country can and do affect people and wildlife far from where they are used and released.
Nonylphenols are a family of closely related organic compounds composed of phenol bearing a 9 carbon-tail. Nonylphenols can come in numerous structures, all of which may be considered alkylphenols. They are used in manufacturing antioxidants, lubricating oil additives, laundry and dish detergents, emulsifiers, and solubilizers. They are used extensively in epoxy formulation in North America but its use has been phased out in Europe. These compounds are also precursors to the commercially important non-ionic surfactants alkylphenol ethoxylates and nonylphenol ethoxylates, which are used in detergents, paints, pesticides, personal care products, and plastics. Nonylphenol has attracted attention due to its prevalence in the environment and its potential role as an endocrine disruptor and xenoestrogen, due to its ability to act with estrogen-like activity. The estrogenicity and biodegradation heavily depends on the branching of the nonyl sidechain. Nonylphenol has been found to act as an agonist of the GPER (GPR30).
Laundry detergent is a type of detergent used for cleaning dirty laundry (clothes). Laundry detergent is manufactured in powder and liquid form.
Wastewater quality indicators are laboratory test methodologies to assess suitability of wastewater for disposal, treatment or reuse. The main parameters in sewage that are measured to assess the sewage strength or quality as well as treatment options include: solids, indicators of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, indicators of fecal contamination. Tests selected vary with the intended use or discharge location. Tests can measure physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the wastewater. Physical characteristics include temperature and solids. Chemical characteristics include pH value, dissolved oxygen concentrations, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorine. Biological characteristics are determined with bioassays and aquatic toxicology tests.
Triclocarban is an antibacterial chemical once common in, but now phased out of, personal care products like soaps and lotions. It was originally developed for the medical field. Although the mode of action is unknown, TCC can be effective in fighting infections by targeting the growth of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. Additional research seeks to understand its potential for causing antibacterial resistance and its effects on organismal and environmental health.
Ecotoxicity, the subject of study in the field of ecotoxicology, refers to the biological, chemical or physical stressors that affect ecosystems. Such stressors could occur in the natural environment at densities, concentrations, or levels high enough to disrupt natural biochemical and physiological behavior and interactions. This ultimately affects all living organisms that comprise an ecosystem.
Environmental toxicology is a multidisciplinary field of science concerned with the study of the harmful effects of various chemical, biological and physical agents on living organisms. Ecotoxicology is a subdiscipline of environmental toxicology concerned with studying the harmful effects of toxicants at the population and ecosystem levels.
Title 40 is a part of the United States Code of Federal Regulations. Title 40 arranges mainly environmental regulations that were promulgated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), based on the provisions of United States laws. Parts of the regulation may be updated annually on July 1.
Alkylphenols are a family of organic compounds obtained by the alkylation of phenols. The term is usually reserved for commercially important propylphenol, butylphenol, amylphenol, heptylphenol, octylphenol, nonylphenol, dodecylphenol and related "long chain alkylphenols" (LCAPs). Methylphenols and ethylphenols are also alkylphenols, but they are more commonly referred to by their specific names, cresols and xylenols.
The environmental effects of paper are significant, which has led to changes in industry and behaviour at both business and personal levels. With the use of modern technology such as the printing press and the highly mechanized harvesting of wood, disposable paper became a relatively cheap commodity, which led to a high level of consumption and waste. The rise in global environmental issues such as air and water pollution, climate change, overflowing landfills and clearcutting have all lead to increased government regulations. There is now a trend towards sustainability in the pulp and paper industry as it moves to reduce clear cutting, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel consumption and clean up its influence on local water supplies and air pollution.
Traditionally, soap has been made from animal or plant derived fats and has been used by humans for cleaning purposes for several thousand years. Soap is not harmful to human health but, like any natural or unnatural surfactant, it does have the potential to cause environmental harm by forming a surface film that impedes the diffusion of oxygen into the water if it is added to an aquatic environment faster than it can biodegrade.
Galaxolide is a synthetic musk with a clean sweet musky floral woody odor used in fragrances. It is one of the musk components that perfume and cologne manufacturers use to add a musk odor to their products. Galaxolide was first synthesized in 1965, and used in the late 1960s in some fabric softeners and detergents. High concentrations were also incorporated in fine fragrances.
Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances (PBTs) are a class of compounds that have high resistance to degradation from abiotic and biotic factors, high mobility in the environment and high toxicity. Because of these factors PBTs have been observed to have a high order of bioaccumulation and biomagnification, very long retention times in various media, and widespread distribution across the globe. Most PBTs in the environment are either created through industry or are unintentional byproducts.
Phosphates in detergent refers to the use of phosphates as an ingredient in a detergent product. The advantage of using phosphates in a consumer laundry detergent or dishwashing detergent is that they make detergents more efficient by chelating calcium and magnesium ions. The disadvantage of using phosphates is that they remain in wastewater and eventually make their way to a natural body of water. While phosphates are low toxicity, they instead cause nutrient pollution and feed the algae. This leads to eutrophication and harmful algal bloom.
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