Biomaterial Database

Ethylene glycol ethers: an environmental risk assessment. 1998

C A Staples, and R J Boatman, and M L Cano

Assessment Technologies, Inc., Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.

Ethylene glycol ethers and acetates are used as intermediates, solvents, and plasticizers. They primarily enter the environment from manufacturing effluents and emissions and during their use in commercial products. Therefore, an examination of their ultimate fate and toxicity, as well as their potential for exposure, was performed. Overall, these data show that ethylene glycol ethers and acetates are not persistent in the environment, are not bioaccumulative, are generally classified by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) procedures as "practically non-toxic" to aquatic organisms based on acute toxicity, and that conservatively calculated exposures are mostly below concentrations of concern for chronic risks to aquatic life.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008386	Marine Biology	The study of the origin, structure, development, growth, function, genetics, and reproduction of organisms which inhabit the OCEANS AND SEAS.	Biology, Marine,Marine Ecology,Marine Hydrobiology,Ecology, Marine,Hydrobiology, Marine
D004784	Environmental Monitoring	The monitoring of the level of toxins, chemical pollutants, microbial contaminants, or other harmful substances in the environment (soil, air, and water), workplace, or in the bodies of people and animals present in that environment.	Monitoring, Environmental,Environmental Surveillance,Surveillance, Environmental
D004987	Ethers	Organic compounds having two alkyl or aryl groups bonded to an oxygen atom, as in the formula R1–O–R2.
D005026	Ethylene Glycols	An ethylene compound with two hydroxy groups (-OH) located on adjacent carbons. They are viscous and colorless liquids. Some are used as anesthetics or hypnotics. However, the class is best known for their use as a coolant or antifreeze.	Dihydroxyethanes,Ethanediols,Glycols, Ethylene
D000085	Acetates	Derivatives of ACETIC ACID. Included under this heading are a broad variety of acid forms, salts, esters, and amides that contain the carboxymethane structure.	Acetate,Acetic Acid Esters,Acetic Acids,Acids, Acetic,Esters, Acetic Acid
D001673	Biodegradation, Environmental	Elimination of ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS; PESTICIDES and other waste using living organisms, usually involving intervention of environmental or sanitation engineers.	Bioremediation,Phytoremediation,Natural Attenuation, Pollution,Environmental Biodegradation,Pollution Natural Attenuation
D012989	Soil Pollutants	Substances which pollute the soil. Use for soil pollutants in general or for which there is no specific heading.	Soil Pollutant,Pollutant, Soil,Pollutants, Soil
D012995	Solubility	The ability of a substance to be dissolved, i.e. to form a solution with another substance. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Solubilities
D014874	Water Pollutants, Chemical	Chemical compounds which pollute the water of rivers, streams, lakes, the sea, reservoirs, or other bodies of water.	Chemical Water Pollutants,Landfill Leachate,Leachate, Landfill,Pollutants, Chemical Water
D018570	Risk Assessment	The qualitative or quantitative estimation of the likelihood of adverse effects that may result from exposure to specified health hazards or from the absence of beneficial influences. (Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 1988)	Assessment, Risk,Benefit-Risk Assessment,Risk Analysis,Risk-Benefit Assessment,Health Risk Assessment,Risks and Benefits,Analysis, Risk,Assessment, Benefit-Risk,Assessment, Health Risk,Assessment, Risk-Benefit,Benefit Risk Assessment,Benefit-Risk Assessments,Benefits and Risks,Health Risk Assessments,Risk Analyses,Risk Assessment, Health,Risk Assessments,Risk Benefit Assessment,Risk-Benefit Assessments