title: An approach to the environmental prioritisation of volatile methylsiloxanes in several matrices.
abstract: Siloxane-based compounds are widely used in personal care, pharmaceutical and household products as well as in industrial applications. Among the wide variety of these chemicals, special attention has been given to volatile methylsiloxanes (VMSs). These compounds have been extensively detected in several environmental compartments, as they are not effectively removed from wastewater and may migrate through different matrices and being lipophilic, bioaccumulate and biomagnify in living organisms. In this work, a prioritisation methodology for several VMSs in different environmental matrices was applied, estimating a hazard quotient by combining exposure evaluation through measured or predicted environmental concentrations (MEC or PEC) and effects using ecotoxicity data to establish no effect concentrations (PNEC). VMSs show quite different hazard potentials in the environment: for linear VMSs it is not considerable, while for cyclic VMSs the hazard is disperse. D4 and D5 may have adverse effects in water, as well as D5 and D6 in sediments. This first multi-matrix approach for the prioritisation of VMSs sets the ground for more accurate studies in the future, provided that more field-based data are reported.
authors.affiliation: LEPABE-Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: vhomem@fe.up.pt.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Homem
authors.affiliation: LEPABE-Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Capela
authors.affiliation: LEPABE-Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: José Avelino
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cincinelli
authors.affiliation: LEPABE-Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lúcia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: LEPABE-Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Arminda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: LEPABE-Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ratola
keywords: Environment; Prioritisation; Risk assessment; Volatile methylsiloxanes