Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1007/s11356-011-0580-7
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Title (Primary) Triclosan – the forgotten priority substance?
Author von der Ohe, P.C.; Schmitt-Jansen, M.; Slobodnik, J.; Brack, W.
Source Titel Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Year 2012
Department BIOTOX; WANA
Volume 19
Issue 2
Page From 585
Page To 591
Language englisch
Supplements https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-011-0580-7/MediaObjects/11356_2011_580_MOESM1_ESM.doc
Keywords Triclosan; Prioritisation; Priority substance; River basin-specific pollutant; Biocide
Abstract

Introduction

Triclosan (TCS) is a multi-purpose biocide. Its wide use in personal care products (PCPs) fosters its dispersal in the aquatic environment. Despite enhanced awareness of both scientists and the public in the last decade with regard to fate and effects, TCS received little attention regarding its prioritisation as a candidate river basin-specific pollutant or even priority substance, due to scarce monitoring data.

Methods

Applying a new prioritisation methodology, the potential risk of TCS was assessed based on a refined hazard assessment and occurrences at 802 monitoring sites in the Elbe River basin.

Results

The suggested acute-based predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) of 4.7 ng/l for the standard test species Selenastrum capricornutum was in good agreement with effect concentrations in algal communities and was exceeded in the Elbe River basin at 75% of the sites (limit of quantification of 5 ng/l). The 95th percentile of the maximum environmental concentrations at each site exceeded the PNEC by a factor of 12, indicating potential hazards for algal communities. Among 500 potential river basin-specific pollutants which were recently prioritised, triclosan ranks on position 6 of the most problematic substances, based on the Elbe River data alone.

Conclusion

Considering the worldwide application of PCPs containing triclosan, we expect that the TCS problem is not restricted to the Elbe River basin, even if monitoring data from other river basins are scarce. Thus, we suggest to include TCS into routine monitoring programmes and to consider it as an important candidate for prioritisation at the European scale.

Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=11501
von der Ohe, P.C., Schmitt-Jansen, M., Slobodnik, J., Brack, W. (2012):
Triclosan – the forgotten priority substance?
Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 19 (2), 585 - 591 10.1007/s11356-011-0580-7