Dangers of NP9 ingredient in your Detergent

Harms Fish and Other Water Creatures

Nonylphenol ethoxylate, often called NP9, is a chemical used in things like detergents and cleaners. It’s been studied a lot because it can harm the environment. Here’s a simple explanation of how it affects aquatic life, messes with hormones, where it’s banned, and why it doesn’t break down easily in nature. I’ve included the sources for each point to back it up.

Messes with Hormones

NP9 and the chemical it turns into, nonylphenol (NP), are bad for animals living in water, like fish and tiny organisms.

  • What It Does: NP9 can stop fish and other creatures from growing properly, make it harder for them to have babies, or even hurt their bodies by causing stress. For example, it can make young fish grow slower or change how they develop.

  • Evidence:

    • A 2020 study on tiny worms called Caenorhabditis elegans showed NP9 made them move less, grow slower, and have fewer babies, even at low amounts you might find in nature. It messed with their bodies by causing stress (Source: Wang et al., Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2020).

    • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says NP and NP9 are very toxic to water animals. They can cause problems like fewer baby fish surviving or males becoming more female-like, even at super low levels (like 8.2 micrograms per liter of water) (Source: EPA, Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Nonylphenol, 2005).

    • A 2017 study on zebrafish found that NP (what NP9 turns into) slowed their growth and changed how their bodies developed, especially at 20 micrograms per liter (Source: Sun et al., Chemosphere, 2017).

  • Why It Matters: Even small amounts of NP9 in rivers or lakes can hurt the animals living there.

Banned in Some Places

NP9 and NP can act like hormones in the body, which can confuse animals and maybe even people.

  • What It Does: NP acts a bit like estrogen, a hormone that affects growth and reproduction. This can make male fish develop female traits or cause other problems with how animals reproduce.

  • Evidence:

    • Studies show NP can stick to estrogen receptors in animals, tricking their bodies into thinking it’s a hormone. In fish like rainbow trout, it can act like estrogen but isn’t as strong (Source: Jobling et al., Environmental Health Perspectives, 1996).

    • A 2023 study review said NP9 changes genes in fish that control how they develop, making males more female-like and reducing their ability to have babies (Source: Noorimotlagh et al., Environmental Research, 2023).

    • In those same tiny worms, NP9 caused effects that didn’t follow a simple pattern (low doses sometimes caused bigger problems than expected), which is a sign it’s messing with hormones (Source: Wang et al., Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2020).

    • NP has even been found in human breast milk (up to 32 nanograms per milliliter in Italy), which raises worries about how it might affect babies (Source: Ademollo et al., Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2008).

  • Why It Matters: This hormone confusion can mess up ecosystems by changing how animals grow and reproduce.

Because NP9 and NP are harmful, some countries have made rules to stop or limit their use.

  • Where It’s Banned or Restricted:

    • European Union: They banned NP9 for most uses, like in cleaners, clothes-making, or farming, because it turns into NP, which is toxic. You can’t use products with more than 0.1% NP9 (Source: EU Directive 2003/53/EC, 2003).

    • Switzerland: They’ve banned NP9 completely since the 1990s (Source: OSPAR Commission Report, 2009).

    • Canada and Japan: They don’t ban it outright but have strict rules to keep NP levels low in water because it’s a problem chemical (Source: Environment Canada, Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999; Japan Ministry of Environment, 2010).

    • United States: There’s no full ban, but the EPA suggested rules in 2014 to control new uses of NP9 and similar chemicals. They also set safe water limits for NP (like 6.6 micrograms per liter in freshwater). Some companies have stopped using it on their own (Source: EPA, Federal Register, 2014; EPA, Safer Choice Program, 2020).

    • Countries like Sweden, Belgium, Germany, and the UK also limit NP9 in things like cleaning products (Source: OSPAR Commission Report, 2009).

  • Why It Matters: Bans help keep NP9 out of water, but not every country has the same rules, so it’s still used in some places.

NP9 can break down a bit in nature, but it turns into NP, which sticks around for a long time and causes more problems.

  • What Happens: When NP9 breaks down, it becomes NP and other chemicals that don’t go away quickly. These can build up in mud, water, or even animals.

  • Evidence:

    • A 2012 study said NP can stay in the environment for days or even up to 100 days, depending on things like water temperature or acidity (Source: Soares et al., Environment International, 2012).

    • Another study found NP builds up in places like river mud or sewage sludge, sometimes reaching levels as high as 1 milligram per kilogram (Source: Ying et al., Environmental Pollution, 2008).

    • Tests showed NP9 breaks down about 62% in 28 days, but it’s not fast enough to be called “easily biodegradable,” so it hangs around too long (Source: Staples et al., Chemosphere, 2001).

  • Why It Matters: Because NP sticks around, it keeps harming animals and building up in the environment.