What fluorescent brighteners are used in laundry detergents such as Ariel, Tide and Zonrox?
Examples of FWAs that are heavily used in detergents include stilbene-types such as FWA-1 (Figure 3, a triazinylaminostilbene), and the distyrylbiphenyl-types (DSPB) such as FWA-5 (Figure 4, a carbocycle). FWA-1 is used in household detergents at concentrations ranging from 0.05% to 0.15% and undergoes photodegradation >50% in 12 months (8). FWA-5 is used in detergents at concentrations from 0.02% to 0.10% and undergoes photodegradation >70% in 28 days (9). In industry, 90% of these compounds are used in detergents, and 10% in textiles and specialty papers. FWA-5 (tinopal CBS-X), an example of a widely-used class of FWA. Both compounds are highly soluble, behave like colorless cotton dyes, and have a high affinity for cotton and synthetic fibers. In detailed exposure studies, neither compound was found to pose any health risks to primary consumers. In the U.S. some 97% of laundry detergents contain one (or sometimes both) of the compounds. In New Zealand, FWA-5 (tinopal CBS-X) was foun
