Environmental impact of nail polish remover

Nail polish remover is a solvent that removes nail polish, acrylic nails, and gel nail polish which comes in many forms, such as bottles or pre-soaked pads. The bottles of liquid nail polish remover is often poured onto a cotton ball or pad and applied to the nail polish. If nail polish remover is being used to remove acrylic or gel nails, then it is often placed in a bowl for the nails to be soaked in. Its main ingredient is acetone. Acetone is sometimes the only ingredient in nail polish removers. Acetone is a colorless, flammable solvent with a strong odor and is highly miscible and volatile in water. According to the Federal Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990, nail polish remover's main ingredient, acetone, is not considered a hazardous air pollutant. Acetone is commonly used as an alternative to hazardous air pollutants in industries as well. Furthermore, under the Clean Water Act, acetone is not considered a significantly dangerous pollutant. Nail services is a growing industry. In 2015, the United States' population spent $8.51 billion on nail services and there are about 129,682 nail salons in the United States.
Since nail polish remover is a solvent, it will dissolve in water. When acetone dissolves in water, it hydrogen bonds with water. The more nail polish remover that enters the hydrosphere will increase the concentration of acetone and then increase the concentration of the solution created when acetone and water bonds. If enough nail polish remover is disposed, it can reach the lethal dose level for aquatic life.
Nail polish remover can also enter the lithosphere by landfills and by precipitation. However, it will not bind to the soil. Microorganisms in the soil will decompose acetone. The consequence of microorganisms decomposing acetone is the risk it has to cause oxygen depletion in bodies of water. The more acetone readily available for microorganism decomposition leads to more microorganisms reproduced and thus oxygen depletion because more microorganisms use up the available oxygen.
When nail polish remover evaporates, acetone enters the atmosphere in the gaseous phase. In the gaseous phase, acetone can undergo photolysis and breakdown into carbon monoxide, methane, and ethane. When temperatures are between 100 - 350 degrees Celsius, the following mechanism occurs:
(CH3)2CO + hv → CH3 + CH3CO
CH3CO → CH3+ CO
CH3+ (CH3)2CO → CH4 + CH2COCH3
2CH3 → C2H6
A second pathway that nail polish remover can enter in the atmosphere is reacting with hydroxyl radicals. When acetone reacts with hydroxyl radicals, its main product is methylglyoxal. Methylglyoxal is an organic compound that is a by-product of many metabolic pathways. It is an intermediate precursor for many advanced glycation end-products, that are formed for diseases such as diabetes or neurodegenerative diseases. The following reaction occurs:
(CH3)2CO + ·OH → CH3C(O)OH + ·CH3
CH3C(O)OH + ·CH3→ CH3C(O)COH + 3H+
In conclusion, nail polish remover has the ability to enter the environment in many ways. Nail polish remover can easily enter the soil when disposed of after use and becomes a part of landfills. It can also easily enter the atmosphere due to its ability to evaporate quickly. When it enters the atmosphere, most likely photolysis can occur with acetone and produce carbon monoxide, methane, and ethane. If not photolysis, than nail polish remover can react with hydroxyl radicals. Once it has evaporated, it can re-enter the soil and enter bodies of water from various ways of precipitation. It is seen that nail polish remover, although a small common household product, has the ability to impact the environment. When the average use of nail polish remover for one person is multiplied by the population of the world, the scale for its environmental significance is greater.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu