Is Polyethoxylated tallow amine safe for dogs and cats?
Context-dependent for petsLimited specific data. Dogs may encounter POEA via contact with treated vegetation or contaminated water. Primary concern is acute exposure to freshly applied herbicide or concentrated formulations.
What is polyethoxylated tallow amine?
Also known as: PEG-10 Hydrogenated tallow amine.
- CAS number
- 61791-26-2
Risk for dogs
Context-dependentLimited specific data. Dogs may encounter POEA via contact with treated vegetation or contaminated water. Primary concern is acute exposure to freshly applied herbicide or concentrated formulations.
Risk for cats
Context-dependentSimilar profile to dogs. Cats may be more sensitive to some surfactants due to limited hepatic glucuronidation capacity.
Regulatory consensus
7 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Polyethoxylated tallow amine. The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| US EPA | — | List 3 - Inert Ingredients of Pesticides | |
| EU | — | BANNED in glyphosate formulations | |
| EFSA | — | Statement on POE-tallowamine toxicological evaluation | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Serious eye damage/eye irritation - Category 2 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Irritation: Skin corrosion/irritation - Category 2 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Eye Irritation: Category 8.3A (Category 1) (score: very high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Irritation: Category 6.3A (Category 2) (score: high) |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where pets encounter polyethoxylated tallow amine
-
Agricultural Products
— Herbicide formulations, Pesticide emulsifiers, Crop protection sprays
Primary use as surfactant in agricultural chemicals; occupational exposure during application and handling
-
Industrial Settings
— Chemical manufacturing facilities, Formulation plants, Agricultural chemical warehouses
Occupational exposure to concentrated forms; skin irritation and eye corrosivity hazards present during handling
-
Cleaning And Degreasing Products
— Industrial degreasers, Heavy-duty cleaners, Equipment cleaning solutions
Used as emulsifying agent; concentrated forms pose skin and eye irritation risks
-
Environmental/Aquatic
— Surface water near agricultural areas, Runoff from treated fields, Soil in agricultural regions
Environmental presence resulting from agricultural application of products containing this surfactant
- Consumer Products — shampoo, body wash, hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Polyethoxylated tallow amine:
-
Phosphate-free corrosion inhibitors (molybdate, silicate)
Trade-offs: Higher cost. May be less effective in some aggressive environments.Relative cost: Lower (ingredient elimination)
-
Surfactant-free glyphosate formulations
Relative cost: Lower (ingredient elimination)
-
Etheramine-free adjuvants
Relative cost: Lower (ingredient elimination)
Frequently asked questions
Is polyethoxylated tallow amine safe for pets?
Limited specific data. Dogs may encounter POEA via contact with treated vegetation or contaminated water. Primary concern is acute exposure to freshly applied herbicide or concentrated formulations.
What products contain polyethoxylated tallow amine?
Polyethoxylated tallow amine appears in: Herbicide formulations (Agricultural products); Pesticide emulsifiers (Agricultural products); Chemical manufacturing facilities (Industrial settings); Formulation plants (Industrial settings); Industrial degreasers (Cleaning and degreasing products).
Why do regulators disagree about polyethoxylated tallow amine?
Polyethoxylated tallow amine has been classified by 7 agencies including US EPA, EU, EFSA, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.
See Polyethoxylated tallow amine in the pets app
Look up products containing polyethoxylated tallow amine, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in pets View raw API dataReference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →