Environ Health Toxicol.  2013 ;28(1):e2013013.

Ecological Risk Assessment of Chemicals Migrated from a Recycled Plastic Product

• Roh JY
• Kim MH
• Kim WI
• Kang YY
• Shin SK
• Kim JG
• Kwon JH

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
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 1.0x10(-4), 1.2x10(-5), 9.5x10(-3), and 5.3x10(-3) mg/L for DEHP, DINP, Cd, and Pb, respectively. The allowable contents in the recycled products were 5.2x10(-3), 6.0x10(-4), 5.0x10(-1), and 2.7x10(-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.

Keyword

Cadmium; Leachate; Lead; Phthalate esters; Recycled plastics

MeSH Terms

Cadmium
Diethylhexyl Phthalate
Mass Screening
Plastics*
Risk Assessment*
Rivers
Soil
Water
Cadmium
Diethylhexyl Phthalate
Plastics
Soil
Water