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Why is the use of etidronic acid and its salts restricted?
I couldn’t find any specific explaination on this, but they are just there with restricted use level in many regions.
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10 Replies
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@zetein Perhaps it has to do with the eutrophication issue related to phosphonates. They are actually being replaced in household products. Nothing else comes to my mind.
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It’s also used as a prescription drug and hazardous to aquatic organisms. Besides, there are safer alternatives.
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@ketchito That would be strange because other phosphates aren’t restricted in cosmetics, like polyphosphate, triphosphate metaphosphates which worked as builders in detergents and caused seaweed disaster in the past. Also things like distarch phosphate and alkyl phosphate are freely and widely used.
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@Pharma Is there any reason why HEDP is used and not substituted? You see it in bar soaps still more frequently than EDTA.
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zetein said:@ketchito That would be strange because other phosphates aren’t restricted in cosmetics, like polyphosphate, triphosphate metaphosphates which worked as builders in detergents and caused seaweed disaster in the past. Also things like distarch phosphate and alkyl phosphate are freely and widely used.
You can check this: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29751423/
You can check also the many studies and regulations meant to reduce phosphorous in finished products, like this one from EPA: https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-data/epas-efforts-redu.
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@zetein
What was the seaweed disaster?
Banning of phosphates in US household products was political posturing by ignorant politicians. The amount discharged is tiny compared to other sources such as phosphate in urine and feces. Lake Erie algae bloom is attributed in part to poor farm practices - esp. re. N and PO4 from manure.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653511001925 -
@PhilGeis I totally agree with you. I remember some debates around the contribution of phosphates from cosmetics, compared to industries like farming. One of my clients was forced to replace STPP from his detergents long time ago. HEDP was on the radar also, but because of its poor biodegradability.
Unfortunately, both USA and Europe have now stricter regulations towards phosphates (and I say unfortunately, because the push always comes first towards the cosmetic industry, rather than to the industries with the highest impact on the matter).
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@ketchito
phosphates in detergents, plastic bags and straws, cosmetic preservatives, propellants and ethanol in hair spray, trigger words, and other cartoon villains -
I’ve never seen phosphonates in any household product which list exactly what’s inside. Unfortunately, laundry detergents and the like do not have to list precisely what’s in them on the package ;( .Bans are (speaking from my perspective on the other side of the atlantic ocean) often not highly targeted, meaning that a ban affects industry, agronomy, and private householdes all together even if there is one side-branche of one of them responsible for, say, 90% impact. You may argue with the case of borax which is prohibited in most of Europe… except for some industrial branches. Tough if you look at it more closely, the ones allowed to still use it are, theoretically, considered and obligated to use it wisely so it does not end up in the environment like it does when private users just flush it down the drain.Though I’d say that very often, it’s not one guilty but the sum of all which causes environmental accumulation over decades of abusive spillage and kills nature and the sum of household detergents is considerable (at least here where farmers may not be as excessive as in the States). I do not support @PhilGeis mentality in this one (I may be wrong and misled, I only know his ‘character’ from posts here on board). If everyone acted that way… well, actually, everyone does act that way and that’s the reason why change to the better ain’t going to happen any time soon.
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I don’t think you understand the industry. Detergents in household products or cosmetics do not build up over time. Those that did - esp. with branched chain alkyl groups - were banned back in the 70’s.
Phosphate bans were and are regulatory requirements to which industry complied. It was/is not a matter of ingredient statementsUnlike cosmetics, every ingredient used in household US products has to be specifically approved by EPA in years long PMN process that considers environmental fate and human and environmental safety, and high volume materials (HPV’s) are specifically followed in regard to environmental fate and accumulation. Major manufacturers, as with cosmetics guys, market effectively the same product everywhere.
Please understand - the science drives a risk assessment approach here as it does in cosmetics and drugs. I understand folks’ feelings, and your sentiment is closer to that of EWG than science.
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