Alkyl phenol polyethoxylates (APEOs) are a major group of high production volume chemicals, extensively used as nonionic surfactants in industrial, agricultural and domestic sectors. These surfactants and its respective metabolites are found to be persistent and toxic. Mainly, they act as endocrine disruptors by mimicking the natural hormones. India being a developing country, witnesses pollution due to various industries including tannery. In the present study, sediment samples were collected from the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, India to investigate the occurrence of APEOs. The sediments were extracted by ultrasonication and analyzed in a liquid chromatography mass spectrometer. Octyl phenol ethoxylates (OPEOs) were not observed in any of the samples. Nonyl phenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) were detected in the range of ND – 36 mg/kg with 85 % detection frequency. The occurrence of NPEOs in sediment indicates its wide usage in tannery and its partitioning behavior in environment. The levels of NPEOs in the study were found to be unsafe according to the sediment guidelines of various studies. Since NPEOs were observed in sediment samples, possibilities of occurrence of their monomers and metabolites cannot be ruled out. Therefore, further studies are warranted for understanding the levels of monomers and metabolites in order to ascertain the environmental risks more appropriately. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd