Environmental Risk Assessment of Chemicals Used in Papermaking, 1996 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Risk assessments of chemicals used in the papermaking process require data on the environmental fates and effects of those chemicals, both in the process and the receiving media. Since many different chemicals are used in papermaking, estimations of their environmental properties by quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) or structure-property relationships have been attempted. These modeling efforts are hampered by lack of uniformity in the available data. Our laboratories have evaluated several hundred industrial chemicals using standardized protocols, including some recommended by OECD. The testing was for aquatic vertebrate and invertebrate acute toxicity, inherent and ready biodegradability, octanol-water partitioning and algal and sludge inhibition. The database obtained is uniquely able to support QSAR analyses. The data will be used in risk assessments by modeling the partitioning of the chemicals during recommended applications in papermills worldwide.