Risikobewertung für vier Hauptgruppen von Tensiden in den Niederlanden/ Risk assessment of four major surfactant groups in the Netherlands

Abstract

The Dutch Soap Association (NVZ) and the Dutch Environmental Ministry (VROM) agreed on a priority list of all detergent ingredients (i.e. > 100 tonnes/year) based on aquatic hazard ranking. The agreed priority list consisted of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), alcohol ethoxylates (AE), alcohol ethoxylated sulfates (AES), and soap. A stepwise or tiered risk assessment approach was adopted as the recommended approach to evaluate the risk of these surfactants. This implies that depending on the risk (or PEC/PNEC) ratio, the sequential test programme or assessment would proceed further, to ensure adequate protection of the ecosystem. The agreed calculation scheme for the aquatic compartment is based on the comparison of the 90th percentile of Predicted Environmental Concentrations (PEC) in the Netherlands - at 1000 meter below the sewage outfall - to the Predicted No Effect Concentration (PNEC) for ecosystems. The assessment was based on data gathered and evaluated by industry and on a monitoring programme on seven representative locations in the Netherlands. From the ratio between the PNEC (Predicted No Effect Concentration) and the PEC (Predicted Environmental Concentration) it can be concluded that the risk for LAS, AE and AES was low. The PEC/PNEC ratios were less than 0.05. For soap the ratio was almost equal to 1. This means that there may be a risk due to soap for the aquatic environment. However, the PNEC was based on acute toxicity data. Preliminary results of a chronic study on soap indicate that the toxicity of soap is similar to the toxicity of other surfactants, and therefore no risk is to be expected for the aquatic environment.