ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF CHEMICALS - INDUSTRY APPROACH

Consumer Product compounds are used in homes and disposed in wastewater where they typically receive waste treatment. After treatment, sludge and effluent are released to the environment resulting in the potential exposure of terrestrial and aquatic organisms to these compounds. To ensure the environmental safety of these compounds, the environmental risk posed by chemicals released into the environment must be assessed. A reasonable, consistent and cost-effective method to conduct environmental risk assessments and to prioritize testing of these chemicals is needed which addresses risk to organisms residing in the terrestrial and aquatic compartments of the environment. This paper provides a fundamental understanding of the technical basis of environmental risk assessment using the major surfactant(i.e., LAS) used in the laundry detergent industry worldwide as a case study.