COLUMN: SURFACTANTS INSIGHTS
The War on EO
About the Author
Neil Burns
Neil Burns is managing partner of Neil A Burns LLC, an investment and advisory firm focused on the surfactant and oleochemicals industries. He holds a BSc. in Chemistry from the University of York, UK and an MBA from the Wharton School. He produces a series of conferences on the business of surfactants and authors the Surfactants Blog.
Neil Burns
Managing Partner Neil A Burns LLC
About the Author
Annalisa Tito
Annalisa Tito is a registered and Licensed Dietitian. She is the manager of Scientific Affairs at Nutrition21. Katie holds a master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics with a concentration in sports nutrition. Katie has over 2,000 hours of experience working with the University of Miami’s football team, Broward Health Medical Center, Broward Sheriff’s Office, and JDS therapeutics.
Annalisa Tito
Registered and Licensed Dietitian
KEYWORDS —
Ethylene Oxide,
Ethoxylates,
Dioxane,
Regulatory.
Abstract
Studies of major depressive disorder have been correlated with reduced Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria and symptom severity has been correlated to changes in Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteriodes. Gut microbiota that contain more butyrate producers have been correlated with improved quality of life (1).
A study in healthy women providing probiotic yogurt for four weeks showed an improvement in emotional responses as measured by brain scans (2). A subsequent study by Mohammadi et al. (3) investigated the impacts of probiotic yogurt and probiotic capsules over 6 weeks and found a significant improvement in depression-anxiety-stress scores in subjects taking the specific strains of probiotics contained in the yogurt or capsules. Other studies with probiotics have indicated improvements in depression scores, anxiety, postpartum depression and mood rating in an elderly population (4-7).
Other studies have indicated a benefit of probiotic supplementation in alleviating symptoms of stress. In particular, researchers have looked at stress in students as they prepared for exams, while also evaluating other health indicators such as flu and cold symptoms (1). In healthy people, there is an indication that probiotic supplementation may help to maintain memory function under conditions of acute stress.
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“A study in healthy women providing probiotic yogurt for four weeks showed an improvement in emotional responses as measured by brain scans”
Biotic ingredients with a proven skin anti-ageing effect
The popular media, certainly in the USA, is often replete with stories about The War on Something. That something could be Drugs, Terror, Calories, Poverty, COVID (remember that?), Hunger, even Christmas. The list is endless. Now I have not yet seen the headline (before of course the one appearing above) but I am starting to wonder; are we now seeing a war on EO?
Notwithstanding the light approach in the opening paragraph Ethylene Oxide (EO) is serious business. It is a major building block in the surfactant value chain, lending hydrophilicity to a wide range of surfactants in many applications. It is also a highly explosive, colorless gas whose handling and transportation has been increasingly tightly regulated worldwide.
The transportation of EO in the US is confined to rail and there have been increasingly rigorous tank-car standards required by law for such transportation (1). Additionally the insurance rates for transportation of EO by rail have increased markedly in recent years, providing further justification for the location of ethoxylation facilities next to or even within facilities manufacturing the gas, thus enabling supply by pipeline.
EO is also linked to the formation of dioxane in ether sulfate surfactants, such as sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES). This formation occurs during the manufacturing process when an alcohol ethoxylate is sulfated. Recent New York State regulations (2) have limited dioxane content in consumer products to 1 ppm. In general, users of ether sulfate surfactants are considering a 5ppm active matter basis dioxane to be a safe level in the surfactant to enable any consumer product to be able to meet the NY finished product restriction. There is, however, a bigger regulatory issue brewing in Europe. Germany has called for a restriction on the level of dioxane in surfactants (not consumer products). The initial filing (3) was made April 19, 2023 and the intended date on which restrictions would go into effect would be October 3, 2025. In the “Call for evidence” document which invites anyone to submit relevant information, the intended limit is clearly stated at 1 ppm in the surfactant itself on an active matter basis. This is a pretty big deal if it were to become EU law.
Now as many readers may know, EO is used in other areas, not just surfactants. It’s major use is in the manufacture of glycols which go into polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for packaging and apparel. An application with a diverse user base is in the sterilization of medical equipment. Given this widespread industrial use, EO has attracted additional scrutiny. The politically influential Hill Magazine, in a recent article (4), talks about “Cancer Alley” a term they give to an 80 mile stretch of the Mississippi from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. In the article, they note that researchers from Johns Hopkins University measured for EO, which they note increases risks of cancers including breast cancer, in a Louisiana industrial corridor. The article suggests that polluters are underreporting how much EO they emit — by a factor of between two and 10.
In just the month of August, stories have appeared in the local and national US press about EO levels causing public concern near facilities in Illinois, West Virginia, Tennessee and California. Further, the EPA’s risk assessment of EO was upheld in a District of Columbia court against a challenge. Insurance broker, Lockton (5) has noted that “Insurers are also monitoring litigation related to ethylene oxide, which is used in the production of antifreeze, as a medical sterilizing agent, and as a pesticide. Exposure to ethylene oxide has been linked to lymphoma, leukemia, and other forms of cancer.” Even the medical press is getting interested with the Cardiology Advisor (6) reporting that 27 environmental toxicants in 6 categories were positively associated with depressive symptoms. The toxicants included EO.
Some companies are already noting the EO risk in their annual report. Notably Stepan has in the Legal and Regulatory Risk section in their 2023 annual report a statement about increasingly stringent regulation of EO. Other companies involved with EO and ethoxylation are not specifically calling this matter out in their public filings.
My advice? Keep a keen eye out on developments and stay close to your trade association (in the US, that’s ACI and ACC). Surfactant users and manufacturers need to get ahead of this issue. There may or may not be a war on EO, but a few battles are well underway.
Biotic ingredients with a proven skin anti-ageing effect
Studies of major depressive disorder have been correlated with reduced Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria and symptom severity has been correlated to changes in Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteriodes. Gut microbiota that contain more butyrate producers have been correlated with improved quality of life (1).
A study in healthy women providing probiotic yogurt for four weeks showed an improvement in emotional responses as measured by brain scans (2). A subsequent study by Mohammadi et al. (3) investigated the impacts of probiotic yogurt and probiotic capsules over 6 weeks and found a significant improvement in depression-anxiety-stress scores in subjects taking the specific strains of probiotics contained in the yogurt or capsules. Other studies with probiotics have indicated improvements in depression scores, anxiety, postpartum depression and mood rating in an elderly population (4-7).
Other studies have indicated a benefit of probiotic supplementation in alleviating symptoms of stress. In particular, researchers have looked at stress in students as they prepared for exams, while also evaluating other health indicators such as flu and cold symptoms (1). In healthy people, there is an indication that probiotic supplementation may help to maintain memory function under conditions of acute stress.
Studies of major depressive disorder have been correlated with reduced Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria and symptom severity has been correlated to changes in Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteriodes. Gut microbiota that contain more butyrate producers have been correlated with improved quality of life (1).
A study in healthy women providing probiotic yogurt for four weeks showed an improvement in emotional responses as measured by brain scans (2). A subsequent study by Mohammadi et al. (3) investigated the impacts of probiotic yogurt and probiotic capsules over 6 weeks and found a significant improvement in depression-anxiety-stress scores in subjects taking the specific strains of probiotics contained in the yogurt or capsules. Other studies with probiotics have indicated improvements in depression scores, anxiety, postpartum depression and mood rating in an elderly population (4-7).
Other studies have indicated a benefit of probiotic supplementation in alleviating symptoms of stress. In particular, researchers have looked at stress in students as they prepared for exams, while also evaluating other health indicators such as flu and cold symptoms (1). In healthy people, there is an indication that probiotic supplementation may help to maintain memory function under conditions of acute stress.