Abstract
Exposure and effect assessment including risk characterisation of enzymes used in household detergents were conducted. Predicted environmental concentrations were calculated by use of traditional methods and detailed transport and fate modelling. Predicted no effect concentrations were derived from the results of ecotoxicological studies conducted with subtilisin and other available information on the acute and chronic aquatic toxicity. Risk characterisation ratios were defined as the ratio between the predicted environmental concentration and the predicted no effect concentration. Risk characterisation ratios were calculated for fresh and marine water and were found to be between 0.0002 and 0.06, i.e. all well below 1. This shows that under the given conditions, the use of enzymes in household detergents does not present a risk to the aquatic environment.
Kurzfassung
Es wurde eine Untersuchung der Exposition und Einwirkung, einschließlich einer Risikobewertung von Enzymen in Haushaltswaschmitteln, durchgeführt. Die Berechnung der vorhergesagten Konzentrationen in der Umwelt wurde sowohl mit traditionellen Methoden und als auch mit einem reaktiven Stofftransportmodell durchgeführt. Die Konzentration, die keine Einwirkung auf aquatische Organismen hat, wurde aus den verfügbaren Daten der ökotoxikologischen Studien mit Subtilisin und anderen zugänglichen Informationen über die akute und chronische Toxizizität abgeleitet. Die Risikoquotienten wurden als das Verhältnis zwischen der vorhergesagten Konzentration in der Umwelt und der Konzentration definiert, bei der keine Wirkung in der Umwelt zu erwarten ist (PNEC). Die Risikoquotienten wurden für Süß- und Meerwasser berechnet. Sie lagen alle zwischen 0.0002 und 0.06, d.h. sie waren alle deutlich kleiner als 1. Diese Bewertung zeigt, dass die Verwendung von Enzymen in Haushaltswaschmitteln unter den gegebenen Voraussetzungen kein Risiko für die aquatische Umwelt darstellt.
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