Environmental risk assessment for quaternary ammonium compounds: a case study from Austria

• Published in: Water science and technology 2006-01, Vol.54 (11-12), p.111-118
• Main Authors: Grillitsch, B, Gans, O, Kreuzinger, N, Scharf, S, Uhl, M, Fuerhacker, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ammonium; Ammonium compounds; Analytical chemistry; Aquatic organisms; Austria; Biocides; Case studies; Chlorides; Detergents; Disinfectants; Ecological effects; Ecological risk assessment; Ecotoxicology; Effluents; Environmental assessment; Environmental effects; Environmental Impact Assessment; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental risk; Industrial Waste - analysis; Industrial Waste - prevention & control; Life sciences; Literature reviews; Modular design; Natural resources; Organisms; Particulate matter; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds - analysis; Risk Assessment; Rivers; Surface water; Veterinary medicine; Wastewater; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution, Chemical - prevention & control; Water treatment
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2006.840

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.