title: Ecological risk assessment of chemicals migrated from a recycled plastic product.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Potential environmental risks caused by chemicals that could be released from a recycled plastic product were assessed using a screening risk assessment procedure for chemicals in recycled products.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plastic slope protection blocks manufactured from recycled plastics were chosen as model recycled products. Ecological risks caused by four model chemicals -di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb)- were assessed. Two exposure models were built for soil below the block and a hypothetic stream receiving runoff water. Based on the predicted no-effect concentrations for the selected chemicals and exposure scenarios, the allowable leaching rates from and the allowable contents in the recycled plastic blocks were also derived.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Environmental risks posed by slope protection blocks were much higher in the soil compartment than in the hypothetic stream. The allowable concentrations in leachate were 1.0×10(-4), 1.2×10(-5), 9.5×10(-3), and 5.3×10(-3) mg/L for DEHP, DINP, Cd, and Pb, respectively. The allowable contents in the recycled products were 5.2×10(-3), 6.0×10(-4), 5.0×10(-1), and 2.7×10(-1) mg/kg for DEHP, DINP, Cd, and Pb, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A systematic ecological risk assessment approach for slope protection blocks would be useful for regulatory decisions for setting the allowable emission rates of chemical contaminants, although the method needs refinement.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: Min-Hyuck
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Woo Il
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Yeul
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sun Kyoung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jong-Guk
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kwon
keywords: Cadmium; Leachate; Lead; Phthalate esters; Recycled plastics