Are Nonionic Surfactants Toxic?

Non-ionic surfactants, consisting of a hydrophilic head group and a hydrophobic tail, used in the preparation of niosomes, carry no charge and are relatively non-toxic [95]. The hydrophobic moiety of the surfactant may be alkyl (T), fluoroalkyl, or steroidal in nature.

Is nonionic surfactant safe?

Ingestion of anionic and nonionic surfactants most commonly result in mild and self-limiting gastrointestinal upset. They can cause irritation to the skin and eye; rarely aspiration or caustic injury to the gastrointestinal tract may occur.

Are surfactants toxic to humans?

Surfactants have some toxicity and may accumulate in the human body, so it is difficult to degrade [20]. In general, nonionic surfactants are not electrically charged, not combined with protein. They haveminimal irritation to the skin.