The scope of SDA research over the of children, it is on his or her bookshelf. past 10 years has been unusually The fifth edition was edited by two broad. Research activity has been di- medical experts. Dr. Anthony Temple, vided into two major areas: human Detergent McNeU Laboratories, and Dr. Frederick safety and environmental acceptability Lovejoy, Harvard Medical School. t fl of detergents and detergent raw mate- Information in the bulletin on the rials. Briefly, SDA research in the hu- Research // who, what, when, where" of acciden- man safety area has included efforts on tal ingestion comes from an SDA- fluorescent whitening agents, fra- sponsored epidemiological investiga- grances and surfactants. It has included atSDA tion Dr. Temple supervised while he research on how to carry out animal was director of the Intermountain Re- testing with great efficiency and less gional Poison Control Center in Salt stress on animals, and that effort con- Human safety, Lake City. After studying 768 acciden- tinues today. It has included the epide- environmental tal ingestion cases involving soaps and miology of the acute effects of acciden- detergents, the conclusion was reached tal eye exposure to, and ingestion of, acceptability are focus that the consequences were minimal cleaning products. and temporary, and that most cases oc- In the envu'onmental area, the focus curred with a product that was in use By KEITH A. BOOMAN, (in measuring devices, etc.) rather than of SDA research activity has been on Technical Director, and 2 two detergent raw materials: surfac- RICHARD 1. SEDLAK, in the original container. This research tants and phosphates. The research on Research Director, was helpful in reducing the tendency of surfactants has included development The Soap and Detergent Association some to consider every ingestion inci- of analytical methods for envtronmen- dent a "poisoning." It contributed to tal samples, and study of the fate of the realization that chUd-resistant pack- surfactants in wastewater treatment aging was simply not an appropraite plants and in estuaries. The SDA tech- general response to accidental cleaning i,<^ nical effort on phosphates has focused fr product ingestion. The Salt Lake City on the possible effects on water quality study also covered eye exposure inci- of governmental banning of phos- ;> dents. The perspective which evolved t . phates. The effect of bans on the phos- \' was similar to that developed for inges- ^ tion. A number of publications cover phorus loads to and from wastewater ^ 3 treatment plants and the effect of bans * .phosphorus removal t Fluorescent Whitening Agents were the have been almost continually moni- ..'.-Sirf topic of another SDA technical investi- tored during the last decade. Knowing L\, ^ . gation. At the time this effort was how much phosphorus is involved, the started, questions about the human effect of detergent phosphate bans on y ^ \ '-» safety of these laundry detergent ingre- y water quality can then be estimated. -..1 a I *. " ;t a <.' dients were being raised. The assis- J ^ .'/ »; » *. We live in an age of proliferating reg- ...*.* ';:4 f \ tance of Arthur D. Little, Inc. (ADL) ?:; .' -<-' L-'^». J» ulation of all parts of individual and ^i &t I »;-£. was obtained to collect and evaluate all corporate life. While some regulation is Keith A. Booman the available published and unpub- good and necessary there has been a lished safety information. A review of tendency to restrict consumer product what is known is always an appropri- content arbitrarily, on the basis of spe- search efforts, you may wish to keep in ate preliminary response when safety culation colored by emotions. A prin- mind the overall objectives which I questions are raised. After reviewing cipal objective of SDA research has have just mentioned. the information available for the fluo- been the development of information rescent whitening agents, the ADL in- to replace speculation with fact, to limit vestigators concluded that there was no to the extent possible the imposition of Human Safety-Completed SDA Programs reason to be concerned. Their compUa- arbitrary limitations on our industry tion of the data and evaluation of it, and its customers, the consuming pub- An ongoing project is the periodic updating of a bulletin called "Cleaning which was published in the CRC Criti- lie. Information is not of much value cal Reviews of Environmental Control,4 unless it is available to, or understood Products and Their Accidental Inges- tion/' now in its fifth edition.* This bul- was a major factor in helping the EPA by, those m a position to propose and Interagency Testing Committee con- adopt regulation or legislation. The letin provides the medical profession with pertinent background on cleaning elude that the development of further SDA research program has contributed safety information was not necessary. to the dissemination of information, products. Topics covered include gen- but that is an effort which transcends eral formulation information and gen- Another SDA human safety investi- the technical effort and which others eral guidance on caring for those, gation centered on the potential of fra- may need to continue for sometime af- primarily young children, who have ac- grances, as used in cleaning and other ter researchers have turned to other cidentally ingested some cleaning consumer products, to cause allergic re- actions in consumers. Considerable tasks. As I review the individual re- product. A section on accident preven- tion is also included. Every pediatri- concern had been generated by articles cian, every new resident physician has in the medical literahire about some Presented at the 57th annual convention of the Soap and Detergent Association, Boca Raton, a copy of this bulletin. If part of the cases of allergic reactions. The question FL;Jan. 28, 1984. practice of a physician involves the care posed was, "In the population as a whole, how many people are affected tion, show that surfactants have negli- Human Safety and and how seriously?" Fortunately, a sig- gible potential to cause genetic dam- Eimronmental Effects nificant data base of pertinent informa- age. Furthermore, none of the assays A research activity which bridges hu- tion existed which SDA was able to reviewed were incompatible with the man safety and environmental effects tap. Both detergent manufacturers and tested surfactants. These included an- was the collection, evaluation and fragrance suppliers carry out human ionic, cationic, nonionic and ampho- publication in one place of the available patch tests on new ingredients and for- teric surfactants. information on the seven major surf ac- mulations to determine the potential tants: for allergy problems. After reviewmg Eye Irritation . Linear alkylbenzene sulfonates and publishing an unprecedened The potential for accidents in which . Alkylsulfates 63,000 patch test results on major ha- cleaning products are splashed or oth- . Alcohol ethoxylates grance mgredients used by the deter- erwise get in human eyes has been a . Alcohol ethoxy sulfates gent industry, 6-11 the issue has all but top concern of the detergent mdustry . Alpha olefin sulfonates died. As in other areas of toxicology, for years. Surely this has been an ap- . Secondary alkane sulfonates dose-effect relationships appear to be propriate priority. Eye injury must be Arthur D. Little, Inc. had the respon- very important for understanding the avoided. Consumers must know what sibility for this task, which led to a re- allergic potential of fragrances. The the potential is. Neither they nor man- port,14 an update,15 and a review arti- results from this investigation are ex- ufachirers can afford to be misled by de.16 This effort was timely. The reports pected to be a continuing guide to the poor information. Thus, the SDA has provided the basis in significant part safe use of fragrance ingredients by our been interested in how to make eye trri- for the TSCA Interagency Testing Com- industry. tation test results more predictive, mittee concluding that enough was Dose-effect relationships are impor- more efficient and less stressful to the known about the two surfactant classes tant in risk assessment. What is the test animals. considered by that committee so far- consequence of a given level of expo- An experimental study in which the linear alkylbenzene sulfonates and al- sure? A prerequisite to answering this comparative response of the rabbit and cohol ethoxy sulfates. The ADL report question is establishing the exposure monkey eyes were investigated, and supplement are currently distrib- level. Occasionally, questions are showed that there were important dif- uted by the National Technical Informa- posed concerning the human safety ferences." The results suggested that tion Service (NTIS), an unusual proce- consequences of volatUe impurities in the usefulness of the rabbit eye as a dure which reflects favorably on these detergents which might be present in predictor of human experience could be non-government reports. products at the part per million level or enhanced by incorporating reference less. To become better able to deal with materials in testing protocols. The use Environmental Studies such questions, we had a predictive of significantly smaller amounts of test SDA research on environmental ef- model developed for exposure to vola- material was also suggested. Unfortu- fects has followed standard patterns: tile impurities in two types of products: nately, regulatory agencies stUl have 1. Determine environmental concen- hand-dishwashing detergents and not accepted the use of smaller doses trations. Develop analytical proce- granular laundry detergents. The key even though more predictive results dures, if necessary. Use models to pre- components of this model were knowl- could be obtained with less stress on diet concentrations, if possible. edge of deteregent use conditions and test animals. SDA is actively pursuing 2. Determine the environmental im- basic physical chemistry. A report cov- this matter today. pact of expected levels, or expected ering the development and use of this Of course, one way to reduce stress changes in levels. Do so by calculation, model is available. 12 on test animals is to use in vitro proce- if the state-of-the-art allows it; other- dures when and wherever possible. wise, perform experiments. SDA is currently supporting a several As far as surfactants are concerned, Human Safety-SDA Programs year project at the University of Illinois theu fate in the Potomac estuary was In Progress on the development of in vitro testing. modeled for SDA by HydroQual, a pre- In recent years, approaches for evalu- This research is directed by Professor eminent engineermg firm. in the envi- ating the mutagenicity of chemicals John Shadduck. The driving concept of ronmental modelmg field. This effort have proliferated. Many of the short- this research is that information from a took mto account both biodegradation term systems do not use mutations per battery of in vitro tests may yield results and adsorption onto sediment parti- se as an end point. Thus, a better de- which would satisfactorily predict the cles.17 The results showed that surf ac- scription of the subject area is genotox- extremely complex course which hu- tants disappear very close to wastewa- icity. While assessment of results show- man eye injury and healing takes. ter treatment plants in such an estuary, ing that a given chemical is genotoxic is A year into this project, one sees both if they could be measured at all. The extremely difficult, positive results may promise and problems. The promise is model was constructed in such a way indicate a carcinogenic potential. that toxicity results with single cells that the fate of other chemicals in By now, enough short-term testing of roughly agree with known eye toxicity wastewater treatment plant discharges surfactants has been done to make a re- results from some surfactants. On the to the Potomac could be estunated, pro- view of the results worthwhile. Infor- other side of the coin, evaluating tnter- vided that the adsorption and biodeg- mation in the literature was collected actions that involve pH and/or test ma- radation characteristics of the chemical and, as m the case of the fragrances terial form (solid vs. liquid) must await could be approximated. The same ap- study mentioned earlier, the available further developments. Thus, it appears proach could clearly be applied to other unpublished information was col- that it wUl be some time before mean- estuarine situations. lected, too. The results, in a paper ingful, reliable label warnings can be Once environmental water concen- which has been accepted for publica- based on in vitro tests. trations of a chemical are known, one is often interested in how much accumu- noisey and show evidence of drift. measures when the consumer costs as- lation m fish tissue might be occurring. sociated with a detergent phosphate As an SDA research project, the bioac- Phosphorus Runoff to Great Lakes ban were considered. That conclusion cumulation of linear alkylate sulfonate appears to be as valid in 1984 as it was 18 Early in the decade, SDA became (LAS) was measured in the bluegUl. concerned about a critical lack of infor- in 1980. 4 The safety factor associated with eating mation about the amount of phos- In sum total, the information that has fish exposed to LAS in the squatic envi- phorus discharged to the Great Lakes been developed allows SDA staff and ronment was estimated to be much in land runoff. The SDA response was member company scientists to make greater than 5000, a very encouraging estimates as to the possible environ- result. to support a promising investigator who was just getting started on rele- mental impact of detergent phosphate Current environmental research on vant research. Dr. David Baker, of Hei- regulation in a given jurisdiction with surfactants includes the development delberg College in Tiffin, OH. Early increasing accuracy, certainty and cred- of a specific analytical method for alco- studies by Dr. Baker and his colleagues ibility. New questions are continually hol ethoxylate nonionic surfactants, developed phosphorus runoff coeffi- being asked. New phosphate control and the fate of LAS and alcohol ethoxy- dents for watersheds m the Lake Erie technologies, such as enhanced biologi- lates in a conventional activated sludge Basin and sampling strategies that cal phosphorus removal, are contin- wastewater treatment plant. Similar would yield more accurate phosphorus ually being considered. Costs are con- studies in the past were limited by ana- load estimates for rivers. The conver- tinually changing. Accordingly, our lytical procedures which were non spe- sion of orthophosphate discharged research effort continues. cific. from treatment plants to other forms of In conclusion, I would like to an- Eutrophication related research has phosphorus was demonstrated to oc- nounce the publication of Professor been a continual part of the SDA tech- cur at an exponential rate, primarily by V. W. Greene's monograph "Cleanli- nical effort during the last decade. ness and the Health Revolution/' by adsorption to suspended sediment 22 Questions asked m one jurisdiction or which settles to the stream bottom. SDA. This monograph documents another over the past decade have in- and celebrates the dramatic revolution eluded: Recent work at Heidelberg College has identified the fluctuations in the over the past 150 years in human loading and transport of phosphorus, health, to which our mdustry has con- 1. How much phosphorus can be tributed so much. For our part, work- controlled by a detergent phosphate as well as other materials, from non- ban? point sources. Understanding these ing to help everyone have a clearer un- fluctations has been instrumental in derstanding of the technical aspects of 2. Is that amount environmentally all the environmental and human significant? understanding the water-quality im- 3. Will a ban reduce wastewater pact of non-point phosphorus loads. safety issues associated with the soap and detergent industry is important treatment costs for phosphorus re- Non-point sources, by vutue of the si- multaneous occurrence of both high and rewarding. We are pleased to be in- moval enough to make a ban economi- volved. . cally worthwhile? runoff loads of soluble phosphorus and high rates of delivery during storms, While our industry has a pretty good contribute the most to the amount of References idea as to how much phosphorus is m- phosphorus avaflable for biological up- 1. Temple, A. R., and F. H. Lovejoy, eds. (1980). Cleaning Products and Their Accidental In- volved, it is always helpful to have esti- take in a lake downstream. On the ba- gestion. The Soap and Detergent Assocation. mates confirmed by field results. For sis of this work done by Dr. Baker and 2. Temple, A. R., and J. C. Veltri (1979). Out- instance, how much effect have bans come of Accidental Ingestions of Soaps, De- his colleagues, as well as the work of tergents and Related Household Products. actually had on the amount of phos- several others, the U.S. Army Corps of Veterinary and Human Toxicology 23 (1), 9. phorus in sewage going to wastewater Engineers' Lake Erie Wastewater Manage- 3. Temple, A. R Eye epidemiology. 4. Burg, A. W. Rohoresky, M. W.'/and Kensler, treatment plants? One serious problem ment Study has recommended that the C. J. (1977). Current Status of Human Safety in evaluating such an effect from field requirements for control of point and Environmental Aspects of Fluorescerit data is the drift and noise that is invari- Whitening Agents Used in Detergents in the source phosphorus discharged to tribu- United States. CRC Critical Reviews in Envi- ably present in such data. How much taries to Lake Erie not be made any ronmental Control. AprU, p. 91. data from each side of a ban date stricter. Providing Dr. Baker with fund- 5. Steltenkamp, R. J. Booman, K. A., Dorsky,}., should be taken into account? Should King, TO Rothenstein, A. S., Schwoeppe, ing to get his program started was emi- E. A., Sedlak, R. I., Smith, T. H. F. "and decreasing weight be given to observa- nently worthwhile. Thompason, G. R. (1980). Hydroxycitronel- tions more distant in time from the The question of the effect of deter- lal: A Survey of Consumer Patch-Test Sensiti- zation.Jd. Cosmet. Toxicology 18, 407. ban? A simple, satisfying and tractable gent phosphate bans on wastewater 6. Steltenkamp_R.;., Booman/K. A., Dorsky, model has been devised under SDA re- h"eatment economics has been a topic ]., King, ~T. 0., Rothenstein, A. S'., search and has been applied to the in- Schwoeppe, E. A., Sedlak, R. I., Smith, for continual review. An early keystone T. H. F. and Thompson, G. R. (1980). Citral: fluent phosphorus load to the two Mil- was an assessment for us by Professor A Survey of Consumer Patch-Test Sensitiza- waukee plants, treating about half of Nicholas L. Clesceri, Rensselaer Poly- tion. Fd. Cosmet. Toxicology 18, 413. 7. Steltenkamp,R.]., Boomari, K. A., Dorsky, the sewage flow of Wisconsm.19 The an- technic Institute, of the cost of phos- ]., King, T. 0., Rothenstein, A. S., swer shows that the industry estimate phorus removal.20 More recently, the Schwoeppe, E. A., Sedlak, R. I., Smith, of 0.4 kg/cap/yr, or about 25% of the m- assembled, pertinent information was T. H. F. and Thompson, G. R. (1980). Cin- namic Alcohol: A Survey of consumer Patch- fluent phosphorus, being due to laun- evaluated by the economic consulting Test^Sensitization. Fd. Cosmet. Toxicology dry detergents is quite good. The pro- firm of Glassman & Oliver.21 The con- 18, 419. 8. Thompson, G. R., Booman, K. A., Dorsky, cedure developed is applicable to any clusion reached in its 1980 report was }., Kohrman, K. A. Rothenstein, A., S~., situation where one wishes to estimate that detergent phosphate bans were Schwoeppe, E. A. Sedlak, R. I. and the magnitude of a shift when data are cost-ineffective phosphorus control J

Steltenkamp, R. J. (1984). Isoeugenol: A Sur- 13. Green, W. R., Sullivan, J. B., Hahir, R. M., 18. Kimerle, R. A., Macek, K. ]., Sleight ffl, B. H. vey of Human Patch-Test Sensitization. Fd. Scharpf, L. G. and Dickson, A. W. (1978). A and Burroughs, M. E. (1981). Bioconcentra- Cosmet. Toxicology. In press. Systematic Comparison of Chemically In- tion of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS) 9. Rothenstein, A. S., Booman, K. A., Dorsky, diiced Eye Injury in the Albino Rabbit and in Bluegffl (Lepomis Macrochirus). Water Re- ]., Kohrman, K. A. Schwoeppe, E. A., Rhesus Monkey. The Soap and Detergent As- search 15, 251. Sedlak, R. I., Steltenkamp, R. J. and Thomp- sociation. New York. 19. PaBesen, L., Berthouex, P. M. and Booman, son, G. R. (1984). Eugenol and Clove Leaf 14. Arthur D. Little, Inc. (1977). "Human Safety K. A. (1984). Environmental Intervention * OU: A Survey of Consumer Patch-TestSensi- and Environmental Aspects of Major Surfac- Analysis: Wisconsin's Ban on Phosphate De- tization. Submitted to Fd. Cosmet, Toxicol- tants". National Technical Information Ser- tergents. Water Research. Submitted for publi- ogy. In press. vice. Document PB 301193/9ST, Springfield, cation. 10. Danneman, P. ]., Booman, K. A., Dorsky, ]., VA. 20. Kumar, I. J., and Clesceri, N. L. (1973). Phos- Kohrman, K. A., Rothenstein, A. S., Sedlak, 15. Arthur D. Little, Inc. (1981). Human Safety phorus Removal from Wastewaters: A Cost R. I. and Steltenkamp, R. J. (1984) Cinnamic and Environmental Aspects of Major Surfac- analysis. Water and Sewage Works, March, Aldehyde: A Survey of Consumer Patch-Test tants (Supplement). National TechnicaHnfpr- PS. 82. Sensitization. Fd. Cosmet. Toxicology. In mation Service Document PB 11 82 453, 21. Folsom, M., and Oliver, L. (1980). Economic Analysis of Phosphate Control: Detagent press. Springfield, VA. 11. Kohnnan, K. A., Booman, K. A., Dorsky, ]., 16. Sivak," S., Goyer, M., Perwak, J. and Thayer, Phosphate Limitations vs. Chemical Treat- Rothenstein, A. S., Sedlak, R. I., Stelten- P. (1982). Environmental and Human Health ment Prepared for The Soap and Detergent kamp, R. J. and Thompson, G. R. (1984). Aspects of Commercially Important Surfac- Association by Glassman-Oliver, Washing- Benzyl Salicylate: A Survey of Consumer tants. In Solution Sehauwr of Surfactants, Vol. ton, D.C., Economic Consultants. Patch-Test Sensitization. Fd. Cosmet. Toxicol . 1. Edited by K. L. Mittel and E. J. Fendler. 22. Green, V. W. (1984). Cleanliness and the ogy. In press. Plenum Publishing Company. Health Revolution. Prepared for The Soap 12. Alder, K.'L. Menzies, K. T., Perwak, J. H. and 17. HydroQual, Inc. (1982). Preliminary Assess- and Detergent Association. . Sivak, S. (1982). A Model for Exposure As- ment of Wastewater Chemicals in the Poto- sessment of Volatile Compounds. Arthur D. mac Estuary. A report to The Soap and Deter- Little, Inc. gent Association, New York.

Reprinted from the March 1984 issue of HAPPI