Abstract
In order to determine the potential environmental impact of construction products, it is necessary to evaluate their influence on organisms exposed to them or their eluates under environmental conditions. The behavior of the white worm Enchytraeus albidus is a useful tool for assessing the potential environmental impact of construction products in contact with water and soil. This study investigates the environmental effects of eluates from two construction products, a reactive waterproofing product, and an injection resin, on the reproduction and avoidance behavior of E. albidus. The eluates were prepared according to existing guidelines. The soil used for the tests was moistened with the eluates of the construction products. The reproduction results of the worms were collected after six weeks of exposure. Offsprings were counted under the microscope and statistically analyzed. Results from the avoidance behavior were collected after 48 h of exposure, and results were compared with the reproduction results. The eluates from both construction products induced significant changes in the reproduction behavior of E. albidus. Undiluted or only slightly diluted eluates of the injection resin drastically reduced the reproduction of the worms, whereas the leaches of the reactive waterproofing product only had a minor effect. The avoidance results for the injection resin indicates that its presence in the habitat is clearly detrimental to the survival of E. albidus, while the avoidance results for the waterproofing resin showed an initial avoidance of the eluates, but no harmful effects were observed. The avoidance test is a way of rapid toxicity screening of environmental samples when time is a critical parameter to measure possible environmental effects. This study shows that ecotoxicological tests using Enchytraeids are a valuable and important tool for understanding the mode of action of eluates from construction products in the environment.
Highlights
The environmental impacts of existing construction materials are important to consider while developing new products
The control represents the mean number of Enchytraeids on the water reproduction test, where no eluates of construction products were in contact with this group
The reproduction behavior of Enchytraeus albidus presented the highest numbers when worms were in soil moistened with the reconstituted freshwater as a control, followed by tap water and, in last, the demineralized water
Summary
The environmental impacts of existing construction materials are important to consider while developing new products. Once the construction products are exposed to weathering, they could potentially be leached, and the resulting eluates could have a negative impact on organisms in the environment [1]. The chemical composition of construction materials and their leaching behavior are crucial for the environmental compatibility of a product [2]. In addition to this prospect, other stages of the building material play a role in its environmental compatibility. As all building materials have a limited life span and weather over time, the assessment of leaching behavior and the evaluation of the environmental relevance of the resulting eluates are of great importance for the certification of building materials in the European market [6]
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