Laundry detergents (nonylphenol/NPE)
Surfactants and fragrances in laundry products
🟡 Several human studies point the same way, with a plausible biological mechanism, but the evidence is not yet conclusive.
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In brief
laundry detergent: this page reviews Laundry detergents (nonylphenol/NPE) (Surfactants and fragrances in laundry products) — documented mechanism, everyday exposure situations and possible alternatives. Level of evidence: Probable.
- Where it's found
- Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE) used as surfactants in some detergents; residues on laundered items (clothes, sheets) in prolonged, repeated skin contact day after day.
- Suspected mechanism
- NPE degrades into nonylphenol, classified as toxic to reproduction (category 2) and a suspected endocrine disruptor. Banned from manufacturing in the European Union since 2003, it remains permitted on imported textile products and persists in the environment via wastewater and the food chain (fish). A Greenpeace study detected NPE in 52 of 78 garments tested, largely disappearing after the first wash but pointing to upstream exposure. Detergent fragrance also adds the same synthetic fragrance families found in personal-care perfumes, via skin contact with laundered fabric.
- Suggested alternative
- Favor eco-labeled or fragrance-free detergents; wash new clothing before first wear to reduce textile-treatment residues.
- Source
- ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety), opinion on substances in new clothing (2018); Greenpeace, textile investigation 2011-2012; European classification of nonylphenol (reproductive toxicant category 2).
Frequently asked questions
Laundry detergents (nonylphenol/NPE): how is it linked to infertility?
NPE degrades into nonylphenol, classified as toxic to reproduction (category 2) and a suspected endocrine disruptor. Banned from manufacturing in the European Union since 2003, it remains permitted on imported textile products and persists in the environment via wastewater and the food chain (fish). A Greenpeace study detected NPE in 52 of 78 garments tested, largely disappearing after the first wash but pointing to upstream exposure. Detergent fragrance also adds the same synthetic fragrance families found in personal-care perfumes, via skin contact with laundered fabric.
Where is Laundry detergents (nonylphenol/NPE) found in everyday life?
Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE) used as surfactants in some detergents; residues on laundered items (clothes, sheets) in prolonged, repeated skin contact day after day.
How can exposure to Laundry detergents (nonylphenol/NPE) be reduced?
Favor eco-labeled or fragrance-free detergents; wash new clothing before first wear to reduce textile-treatment residues.
What is the level of evidence for Laundry detergents (nonylphenol/NPE)?
Probable. Several human studies point the same way, with a plausible biological mechanism, but the evidence is not yet conclusive.
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Related factors
Including a factor does not mean it causes infertility: it is simply worth monitoring, depending on its level of evidence.
Content last updated: September 14, 2026