Abstract
Acrylic acid (AA) is used in high production volumes to manufacture a wide range of esters such as butyl acrylate (BA) and ethyl acrylate (EA) for important consumer products. In addition, AA is used to produce polyacrylate superabsorbents and polycarboxylate dispersants. An important methylated form of AA, methacrylic acid (MAA), is used to produce methyl methacrylate (MMA) and specialty dispersants. Collectively, AA, BA, EA, MAA, and MMA can be regarded as High Volume Acrylates and Methacrylates (HVAMs). The wide distribution of consumer products which may contain residual HVAMs could suggest that significant amounts of HVAMs might reach aquatic environments. Recently obtained HVAM fate information and a wastewater treatment model, WW-TREAT, were used here to predict removal of residual HVAMs in U.S. municipal wastewater treatment plants. All estimated concentrations of HVAMs reaching and discharging from municipal wastewater treatment plants are substantially lower than acceptable chronic aquatic exposure derived from an aquatic toxicity profile and a 100-fold assessment factor. Therefore, based on this information, household disposal of consumer products containing residual HVAMs is not associated with unreasonable risks to the aquatic environment.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
