Toxicological properties and risk assessment of the anionic surfactants category: Alkyl sulfates, primary alkane sulfonates, and α-olefin sulfonates

The category of the anionic surfactants (ANS) consisting of 46 alkyl sulfates, 6 primary alkane sulfonates, and 9 α-olefin sulfonates has been assessed under the high production volume (HPV) chemicals program of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2007. In this review the toxicological properties of these chemicals are summarized. The chemicals of this category are used predominantly in detergents, household cleaning products, and cosmetics. These chemicals show low acute and repeat dose toxicity. There was no evidence of genetic or reproductive toxicity, or carcinogenicity. There also was no indication for sensitizing properties. Skin and eye irritating effects in consumers are not to be expected. For consumers, the calculated body burden is about 10,000 times lower than the lowest NOAEL value in experimental animals, so that adverse effects caused by substances of the ANS category can be excluded.