The synthetic surfactants AS and LAS interrupt pregnancy in mice

Alcohol sulfate (AS) interrupted pregnancy when applied to the dorsothoracic area (2 × 3 cm) of pregnant mice from Day 1 to 10 of gestation. This effect was due to interference with development of the embryos during the cleavage stage, because when pregnant mice were treated with AS in the same way before implantation (from Day 0 to 3), significant numbers of embryos (29.1%) collected from the uteri and oviducts were deformed (dead or dying). Similar results were obtained with a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS). AS had no detectable teratogenicity in the offspring when applied to the mothers similarly from Day 1 to 17 or carcinogenicity when applied from Day 12 to 17. The offspring of mice treated with AS from Day 12 to 17 showed growth retardation, but this disappeared after weaning.