You Can’t Wash Hands Of Yamuna’s Frothing

New Delhi: Nonylphenol ethoxylates are banned for inclusion in detergents in many countries, but India has no regulations. Like nonylphenol (NP), it is a chemical compound called a surfactant. Compounds of this sort are a major cause of frothing in the Yamuna, a visible proof of the pollutants in the river. Now, Toxics Link, an environmental research organisation, and US-based non-profit Environmental Defense Fund have released a report that highlights how the harmful NP and NPEs are in widespread use in India.
NP is an endocrine-disrupting chemical and was banned by India in 2009 in the cosmetics sector, but it remains prevalent in surfactants and other consumer products. It is toxic to aquatic organisms and also interferes with reproduction, development and other physiological processes in humans and animals.
The report, ‘Nonylphenol — An Endocrine Disrupting Chemical', details how India exports surfactants to, among others, Vietnam, China and the European Union, though import volumes have decreased due to regulatory concerns. The presence of NPEs in detergents also impact textile products, causing export challenges, especially to countries with strict regulations like the EU.
NP and NPEs are widely used in Indian industries related to textiles and leather, detergents and cleaning products, paper and pulp, food packaging, cosmetics, construction, automotive, agrochemicals, paints and metalworking fluids, the report says.
According to the California Environmental Protection Agency, NP causes poisoning in fish, aquatic vegetation and aquatic invertebrates. Studies have also established that NP has a detrimental effect on human immune, nervous and reproductive systems. It has the ability to imitate the female sex hormone oestrogen and disrupt hormonal systems.
NP gets released into the environment during the manufacture and usage of detergents and also through wastewater. The chemical accumulates in aquatic organisms and remains in the environment for long periods. It enters the human body through contaminated food, particularly fish.
Suggesting the use of safer, cost-effective, technically viable alternatives available, the study points out that the transition towards safer options is slow in India. "Nonylphenols have been detected in human breast milk, blood, and urine and have been proven to interfere with the way hormones work in humans and animals," said Satish Sinha, associate director, Toxics Link. "Concerned with its implications, several countries have restricted the use of the chemical. It is wise for India to act on this chemical."
The report says that innovating and developing safer alternatives can make India a major player in the sustainable global marketplace. Hisham Mundol, chief advisor (India), Environmental Defense Fund noted, "The health benefits are self-evident and the faster the action, the faster will the benefits accrue. On the economic front, there is increasing momentum towards phasing these chemicals out and adopting safer alternatives will strengthen Indian industry's reputation and business opportunities at home and abroad."