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P r o d u c t s  & Ma t er i a l s 

www.eurons.com/product-testing-services

The most important APEO or alkylphenolethoxylates for the textile industry areNPEO (nonylphenol ethoxylates) andOPEO (octylphenol ethoxylates) due totheir detergent properties. About 90% ofthe produced APEO are in fact NPEO.The compounds are used in detergents,

cleaning agents, or chemicals used fortextile or leather production.

Toxicological characteristics are theirhormone disruptive properties and thefact that they are toxic to aquatic organ-isms.

Furthermore, APEO are very persistentand difcultly degradable in nature.

These are all problem areas for waste-water treatment and discharging ofwastewater into surface waters.

Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO)

in textiles

 Analyses for APEO have been a fast growingissue for Eurofins over the last years.

Surprisingly to the producers, APEO have beendetected in rather high amounts in textiles andleather. Eurofins offers reliable analyses for

 APEO

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Testing laboratory:

Eurons Product Testing A/S

• Smedeskovvej 38, 8464 Galten, Denmark,Phone +45 7022 4276

Eurons Air Toxics, Inc.

• 180 Blue Ravine Road, Ste. B, Folsom, CA 95630, USA,Phone +1-800-985-5955

Contact our ofces in

China (Shanghai, Shenzhen) - Denmark - France -

Germany - Hong Kong - Italy - Netherlands - Thailand -

UK - USA

via our common email address

Legislation and

labellingSince 1998 use of APEO indetergents has been forbiddenin Germany - and since January2005 the EU directive 2003/53/EG has forbidden the use ofNPEO in higher concentrationsthan 0.1% in formulations. These

compounds will often end in thewastewater and consequentlyform a problem in the environ-ment - e.g. in rivers, lakes, etc.

 Although forbidden in the EUmany companies have productionsites or suppliers outside Europe,where the use of NPEO is notforbidden. This is the reason whysome European companies haveestablished their own require-

ments with strict threshold valuesfor NPEO and OPEO.

Textile eco-labels as the EUower and Öko-Tex 1000 havealso forbidden the use of APEO.

Testing methodIn 2002 Eurons Product Test-ing A/S established a method fordetermining even traces of APEOin textiles and since then Euronshas performed several thousandanalyses.

This makes Eurons Product

Testing A/S one of the most expe-rienced and respectable labora-tories as regards APEO testing.Round Robin tests in 2005 showthat results from Eurons Prod-uct Testing A/S are reliable andprecise.

The sample of textile, fabric,carpet or leather is extracted.The extract is analysed withcombined high performanceliquid chromatography andmass spectrometry with posi-tive mode electro spray ionisa-tion (HPLC/MS).

The analyses include the octyl-and nonylphenol ethoxylatesfrom 3 to 15 ethoxy groups.

With this method even tracesof NPEO and OPEO can bedetected. Detection limit fortextile samples is 0.2 ppm(mg/kg).

07.06.2012

Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO) in textiles

Only small amounts of sample are required for the analyses:

30 x 30 cm of textile, fabric, carpet, or leather 50 g of wool, yarn, or bre50 ml of liquid samples (chemicals, detergents, or agents)

For further information please contact:

Eurons Product Testing A/SSmedeskovvej 38

DK-8464 GaltenTel. : +45 70 22 42 76Fax: +45 70 22 42 75email: tne@eurons.dk