EVALUATION OF AQUATIC TOXICITY AND BIOACCUMULATION OF C8-ALKYLPHENOL AND C9-ALKYLPHENOL ETHOXYLATES

The extensive database of acute and chronic aquatic toxicity data for alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) and selected biodegradation intermediat es was reviewed and summarized for freshwater and saltwater aquatic mi croorganisms, algae, invertebrates, and fish inhabiting cold and warm water bodies. Most acute toxicity studies that tested APE-9 and APE-10 , the most common commercially relevant APEs, reported results that ra nged from about 1,000 to 10,000 mu g/L. Results from studies testing a lkylphenols, intermediate by-products of APE biodegradation, ranged fr om about 20 to 3,000 mu g/L. Chronic values are a factor of about 2 to 10 lower. Although most studies used one of several common species an d standard protocols to assay conventional endpoints, many nontraditio nal species and toxicological endpoints were also used. This toxicolog ical database encompasses virtually all important types of aquatic hab itats and classes of aquatic species. Bioaccumulation data from both l aboratory and field studies indicate that alkylphenols have a low to m oderate bioaccumulation potential. Fresh weight, nonlipid-based biocon centration factors (BCFs) measured in the laboratory ranged from <1 to 1,250 for fish and 1 to 3,400 for invertebrates, whereas field bioacc umulation factors (BAFs) ranged from 6 to 487, with most values <100. Overall, these data provide an extensive and useful database to suppor t environmental risk assessment activities.