Can next generation ecological risk assessment decisions be made today?-A case study of regulatory risk assessment in the United States.

We examined the need for new in vivo avian toxicity testing for three common industrial chemicals (1,2 dichloropropane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane and triphenyl phosphate) based on estimated avian exposures using fugacity and multimedia fate models for current conditions of use compared to hazard information including existing in vivo test data for the chemicals and analogs, interspecies correlation estimates and results from hundreds of acute avian dietary toxicity studies. The data indicated that acute avian toxicity is not likely to be observed below 10 ppm in the diet for any chemical with the exception of those with a specific mode of toxic action. Modeling indicated low exposure potential for terrestrial birds to any of the three chemicals, with estimated dietary concentration of less than 0.

Demonstrating the protective effect of a 70-year-old occupational exposure limit against pneumoconiosis caused by mica.

Workers involved in crushing, milling, screening, and bagging of mica scrap are at increased risk to develop pneumoconiosis, a progressive material overloading of the lung that can lead to fibrosis and, in the later stages, to dyspnea. Pneumoconiosis is only seen after 10-20 years of respiratory mica exposure, and it can have a latency period of up to 40 years-today's cases date back to exposures during the second half of the 20 century. An occupational lifetime exposure level of 3 mg/m respirable mica dust has been considered to present no risk of pneumoconiosis since 1951 when the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) established a 20 million particles per cubic foot (mppcf) (3.

Systemic absorption of benzalkonium chloride after maximal use of a consumer antiseptic wash product.

An in vivo pharmacokinetic study was conducted using consumer antiseptic wash containing 0.13% benzalkonium chloride (BAC) to assess the effect of dermal absorption on long-term systemic exposure to BAC. The objective of the study was to determine blood levels of BAC under maximal use conditions.

Assessment of consumer exposure to boron in cleaning products: a case study of Canada.

Boron is an essential mineral for plants, and as such, is a normal dietary constituent for humans. Humans may be naturally exposed to boron through food and drinking water, or via anthropogenic sources such as consumer products. The World Health Organisation established an acceptable safe range of population mean intakes for boron of 1-13 mg/day.

Assessment of ecological hazards and environmental fate of disinfectant quaternary ammonium compounds.

Disinfectant quaternary ammonium compounds (Quats) have diverse uses in a variety of consumer and commercial products, particularly cleaning products. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have become a primary tool to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus on surfaces. Disinfectant Quats have very low vapor pressure, and following the use phase of the products in which they are found, disposal is typically "down-the-drain" to wastewater treatment systems.

Environmental risk assessment of polycarboxylate polymers used in cleaning products in the United States.

Polycarboxylate polymers have been common components of consumer and institutional cleaning products for decades. With interest heightened in the potential environmental impact of polymers, the American Cleaning Institute, the industry trade association of the cleaning products industry in the United States, is reassessing the state of the science regarding the environmental safety of polymers in cleaning products. In this case study, acrylic acid homopolymers and acrylic acid-maleic acid copolymers are evaluated using historical ecotoxicity data that have been reported over the past three decades.

Identification of novel uncertainty factors and thresholds of toxicological concern for health hazard and risk assessment: Application to cleaning product ingredients.

Uncertainty factors (UFs) are commonly used during hazard and risk assessments to address uncertainties, including extrapolations among mammals and experimental durations. In risk assessment, default values are routinely used for interspecies extrapolation and interindividual variability. Whether default UFs are sufficient for various chemical uses or specific chemical classes remains understudied, particularly for ingredients in cleaning products.

Human health risk assessment of chloroxylenol in liquid hand soap and dishwashing soap used by consumers and health-care professionals.

A quantitative human risk assessment of chloroxylenol was conducted for liquid hand and dishwashing soap products used by consumers and health-care workers. The toxicological data for chloroxylenol indicate lack of genotoxicity, no evidence of carcinogenicity, and minimal systemic toxicity. No observed adverse effect levels (NOAEL) were established from chronic toxicity studies, specifically a carcinogenicity study that found no cancer excess (18 mg/kg-day) and studies of developmental and reproductive toxicity (100 mg/kg-day).

Estimated hospital costs associated with preventable health care-associated infections if health care antiseptic products were unavailable.

Objectives: Health care-associated infections (HAIs) pose a significant health care and cost burden. This study estimates annual HAI hospital costs in the US avoided through use of health care antiseptics (health care personnel hand washes and rubs; surgical hand scrubs and rubs; patient preoperative and preinjection skin preparations).

Methods: A spreadsheet model was developed with base case inputs derived from the published literature, supplemented with assumptions when data were insufficient.

iSTREEM(®) : An approach for broad-scale in-stream exposure assessment of "down-the-drain" chemicals.

The "in-stream exposure model" iSTREEM(®) , a Web-based model made freely available to the public by the American Cleaning Institute, provides a means to estimate concentrations of "down-the-drain" chemicals in effluent, receiving waters, and drinking water intakes across national and regional scales under mean annual and low-flow conditions. We provide an overview of the evolution and utility of the iSTREEM model as a screening-level risk assessment tool relevant for down-the-drain products. The spatial nature of the model, integrating point locations of facilities along a hydrologic network, provides a powerful framework to assess environmental exposure and risk in a spatial context.

Estimating fatty alcohol contributions to the environment from laundry and personal care products using a market forensics approach.

Fatty alcohol-based surfactants are widely used in detergents and personal care products; they are typically disposed of down-the-drain and are degraded or removed during wastewater treatment. Analytical data had shown concentration and profile differences between regions of the United States. Market sales data were purchased relevant to the sampling dates.

The effect of secondary treatment and eco-region on the environmental fate of fatty alcohol based surfactants.

Samples of influent, effluent and sediments of the receiving waters of eight WWTPs were collected in each of three eco-regions of the USA, a total of 24 facilities. Six different treatment technologies were included to determine the fate of anthropogenic fatty alcohols. The lipids were analysed by compound-specific stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: what are the big questions?

Background: Over the past 10-15 years, a substantial amount of work has been done by the scientific, regulatory, and business communities to elucidate the effects and risks of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment.

Objective: This review was undertaken to identify key outstanding issues regarding the effects of PPCPs on human and ecological health in order to ensure that future resources will be focused on the most important areas.

Data Sources: To better understand and manage the risks of PPCPs in the environment, we used the "key question" approach to identify the principle issues that need to be addressed.

Quantifying the anthropogenic fraction of fatty alcohols in a terrestrial environment.

Fatty alcohols are naturally produced hydrocarbons present in all living organisms. They are also used in detergent and cosmetic formulations, may be sourced from either petroleum or biological materials, and are typically disposed of down the drain. This study was conducted on the Luray catchment, Virginia, USA, where sales data indicate that approximately 2 kg of fatty alcohols from detergent enter the wastewater every day.