Question

Does Tween-80 meet environmental requirements? Can a test report be provided?

Answer
2026-06-06 官方文档 吐温T-80

Tween-80 has good environmental performance, but the specific impact on the ecology needs to be evaluated based on the application scenario. Specific test reports need to be obtained from Guoli Chemical officially.

Detailed Explanation

According to China's GHS classification standards, Tween-80 (CAS: 9005-65-6) is classified as a non-hazardous substance or mixture, and under normal use conditions, it poses no significant harm to human health or the environment. This product is a classic non-ionic surfactant, and its raw material composition determines that it has a certain degree of biodegradability. When used at recommended concentrations and discharged properly, it will not cause significant toxic effects on aquatic ecology.

From an ecotoxicological perspective, Tween-80 has low toxicity to aquatic organisms, with no significant risk of ecological toxicity accumulation at recommended application concentrations. However, special attention should be paid to the fact that if a large spill occurs into water bodies, the product may form a physical oil film on the water surface, hindering oxygen exchange, thereby indirectly causing local hypoxia. Therefore, during use, environmental regulations must be strictly followed, and untreated materials must not be directly discharged into drainage systems or natural water bodies.

Unlike some surfactants containing phosphorus or heavy metals, Tween-80 does not involve components that pose persistent risks to the environment during production and use. It aligns with the current development trend of green chemistry and human/environment-friendly auxiliaries, and has been widely recognized and long-term applied in fields with strict environmental and safety requirements, such as pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics.

Environmental Performance Overview

Environmental IndicatorData/Description
GHS Hazard ClassificationNon-hazardous substance or mixture
Aquatic ToxicityLow toxicity (no significant ecological toxicity at normal use concentration)
BiodegradabilityBiodegradable (based on raw material composition)
Heavy Metal Content≤10 ppm
Arsenic Content≤2 ppm
Phosphorus Content (free phosphoric acid/combined phosphorus)None
pH Value (1% or 5% aqueous solution)5.0–7.0
Risk of Large SpillsMay form a physical film on the water surface, affecting oxygen exchange

Note: The above data is from Guoli Chemical product database.

Regarding Test Reports

Routine factory inspections of this product cover core indicators such as appearance, active content (≥97%), acid value (≤2.0), saponification value (45–55), hydroxyl value (65–80), moisture (≤3.0%), pH value (5.0–7.0), heavy metal and arsenic content. Currently, the above parameters have been stated in our communication, but the database does not yet contain electronic versions of independent third-party environmental test reports (such as RoHS, REACH, biodegradability test reports, acute aquatic toxicity reports, etc.) that can be directly downloaded.

If you need a formal stamped Certificate of Analysis (COA) or specific environmental compliance test reports, it is recommended to directly contact Guoli Chemical's sales or quality control department. They can provide corresponding batch test data and compliance documents based on your specific application (e.g., REACH compliance statement required for export to the EU, pharmaceutical excipients meeting pharmacopoeia standards, etc.).

Precautions

  • Do not directly discharge undiluted or untreated Tween-80 into environmental water bodies or soil.
  • In case of a spill, immediately contain it with an inert absorbent material and dispose of waste according to local environmental regulations, avoiding entry into drainage systems.
  • The product may hydrolyze under strong acid or strong alkali conditions, affecting its performance and degradation behavior; such extreme conditions should be avoided as much as possible.