SETAC Europe 35th Annual Meeting

Development of Acute to Chronic Ratios (ACRs) Applicable to Surfactant Ecotoxicity

Abstract: Surfactants find extensive use within a variety of settings, both industrial and domestic. Although typically removed in an efficient manner during the process of wastewater treatment, these substances nevertheless remain liable to enter into the environment. Whilst their safety within such contexts has been widely investigated, the presence of data gaps – particularly as relates to chronic toxicity – continues to form an obstacle towards meeting regulatory standard information requirements. A potential solution to this issue lies within the leveraging of existing toxicity data, in order to develop “acute-chronic ratios” (ACRs). In essence, the ACR represents an empirically-derived ratio between corresponding acute and chronic ecotoxicological endpoints (within defined chemical groups), applicable for the estimation of chronic potency in instances where only acute values are otherwise available. Previously, this approach has demonstrated robustness within certain (non-surfactant) substance classes possessing non-specific mechanisms of action.

However, surfactants hold several unique structural and physicochemical characteristics. Accordingly, the aim of this investigation was to examine the suitability of ACR methods for application towards such compounds. Details of relevant surfactants, such as Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number, name and molecular structure (as available), were traced. Using these identifiers, historical, publicly-accessible toxicity data concerning fish, daphnid and algal species were sought, recorded and curated, in order that robust toxicity outcomes – acute and chronic – might be identified. Several hundred surfactants, spanning anionic, cationic, zwitterionic and non-ionic classes (including mixtures), were ultimately represented. From this pool, ACRs appropriate to each trophic level were determined. Comparison relative to existing ratios revealed that acute-chronic relationships within these chemicals are broadly equivalent to those noted across other narcotic (non-specific acting) substances. As such, evidence for the apparent applicability of the approach within a wider series of risk assessment contexts is provided.

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Author(s):

James Firman Liverpool John Moores University United Kingdom This Author Is the Presenter

Baile Xu Unilever United Kingdom

Homa Basiri Liverpool John Moores University United Kingdom

Mark Cronin Liverpool John Moores University United Kingdom

Geoff Hodges Unilever United Kingdom

Jayne Roberts Unilever United Kingdom

Simran Sandhu Unilever United Kingdom

Andrea Gredelj Unilever United Kingdom