Environmental risk assessment for quaternary ammonium compounds: a case study from Austria.
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) are widely used as disinfectants, biocides, and detergents, among a variety of other applications. The cationic surface-activity of QAC determines their potential to act as a biocide on both target and non-target organisms. This study aims to provide a broad-based environmental risk characterization and evaluation for selected QAC with particular focus on the situation in Austrian rivers. A modular study design was employed involving environmental exposure characterization, QAC fate and effect analysis in wastewater, ecotoxicological effect characterization, and environmental risk evaluation. A wide array of Austrian surface waters and wastewater effluents were screened for the selected key compounds, benzalkonium chlorides and dialkyldimethylammonium chlorides with different C-chain lengths. Ecotoxicological effect characterization was based on both microbiotests for a set of representative aquatic organisms and a literature review. For risk evaluation, the PEC/PNEC ratio was above 1 for some rivers. Notably, small rivers with a high particulate matter were contaminated with QAC in the case of high water incidents. Hence, for the Austrian sites studied, a QAC-derived risk to sensitive aquatic non-target organisms could not be excluded.
Grillitsch
B
B
University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210, Austria. britta.grillitsch@vu-wien.ac.at
Gans
O
O
Kreuzinger
N
N
Scharf
S
S
Uhl
M
M
Fuerhacker
M
M
D001317:Austria; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control*
D007220:Industrial Waste; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical