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5D + E Risk Communication + From Risk Mgnt to Sust. Mgnt (MO8/11) Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates (LAS) in river sediments: environmental risk assessment. Temara , Ali1, Webb, Simon2, Cavalli, Luciano3, Marshall, Stuart4, Lopez, Ignacio3, Cassani, Giorgio3, McAvoy, Drew 5, 1 Procter & Gamble, Brussels, Belgium2 CEFIC, Brussels, Belgium, Belgium3 ECOSOL, Brussels, Belgium, Belgium4 Unilever Research, London, UK, UK5 Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH, USA ABSTRACT- LAS is a key active ingredient in laundry detergents. It was introduced in 1964 as the readily biodegradable replacement for highly branched alkybenzene sulfonates. A Predicted Environmental Concentration in sediment (PECsed) was calculated according to the EU Technical Guidance Document and based on the most recent European tonnage data (HERA 2002). The calculated value, 1.5 mg/kg, is included in the range of LAS monitoring data in European river sediments (<0.5 - 5.3 mg LAS/kg). A PNECsed was derived from reliable experimental sediment toxicity data and the relevant assessment factors. Five long-term (chronic) tests were available, with sub-lethal endpoints including reproduction, growth, emergence. Three of the test organisms are explicitly listed in the updated TGD as relevant methods. All three taxa can be considered as representative benthic species that are common in European freshwater sediments. All three studies involved spiking uncontaminated sediment with LAS and included analytical confirmation of test concentrations. An application factor of 10 was therefore applied to the lowest available NOEC value, deriving a PNECsed of 8.1 mg/kg. Considering the available data, it is concluded that the ecotoxicological parameters of sediment associated LAS have been adequately and sufficiently characterized and that the ecological risk of LAS in river sediments is judged to be low. Key words: LAS, Risk assessment, Sediment, Benthos |
