Summary of the availability of data and key knowledge gaps for the top three polymers (by relative emissions) in each of the 10 polymer groups with highest down-the-drain emissions (MDTT).
| Group . | Polymer . | Contribution to group (%) . | REACH dossier (CAS)a . | WWT removal . | MEC (water) . | MEC (soil) . | Biodegradability . | Ecotoxicity . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol ethoxylate salts | Sodium laureth sulfate | 70.1 | 68891-38-3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MEA-laureth sulfate | 15.7 | 157627-92-4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium C12-15 pareth sulfate | 4.9 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Alcohol alkoxylates | Laureth-4 | 14.2 | 68439-50-9; 9002-92-0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PEG/PPG-10/2 propylheptyl ether | 9.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| C11-15 Pareth-7 | 7.2 | 68131-40-8 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polycarboxylates | Styrene/acrylates copolymer | 38.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sodium polyacrylate | 17.5 | 9003-01-4 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium acrylic acid/MA copolymer | 16.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polyol ethoxylate esters | PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate | 29.4 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| PEG-200 hydrogenated glyceryl palmate | 22.0 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polysorbate 20 | 17.2 | 9005-64-5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polyethers and copolymers | PPG-26 | 23.2 | 25322-69-4 | ✓ | ✓b | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Copolymer of PEG/vinyl acetate | 11.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyethylene glycol | 10.0 | 25322-68-3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Starch and derivatives | Dextrin | 51.6 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Oryza sativa (rice) starch | 18.7 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate | 8.1 | 68425-17-2; 738602-93-2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Silicones | Dimethicone | 49.3 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dimethiconol | 14.4 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Trimethylsiloxysilicate | 7.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyquaterniums | Polyquaternium-7 | 59.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗c | ✗ |
| Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride | 17.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyquaternium-10 | 8.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗c | ✓ | |
| Polyvinyl alcohol | Polyvinyl alcohol | 96.1 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Polyvinyl alcohol film | 2.0 | ✗ | ✓d | ✗ | ✗ | ✓d | ✓d | |
| Thermal shrinkable PVOH film | 2.0 | ✗ | ✓d | ✗ | ✗ | ✓d | ✓d | |
| Cellulose and derivatives | Hydroxyethyl cellulose | 39.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cellulose gum | 30.5 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Microcrystalline cellulose | 16.7 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group . | Polymer . | Contribution to group (%) . | REACH dossier (CAS)a . | WWT removal . | MEC (water) . | MEC (soil) . | Biodegradability . | Ecotoxicity . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol ethoxylate salts | Sodium laureth sulfate | 70.1 | 68891-38-3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MEA-laureth sulfate | 15.7 | 157627-92-4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium C12-15 pareth sulfate | 4.9 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Alcohol alkoxylates | Laureth-4 | 14.2 | 68439-50-9; 9002-92-0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PEG/PPG-10/2 propylheptyl ether | 9.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| C11-15 Pareth-7 | 7.2 | 68131-40-8 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polycarboxylates | Styrene/acrylates copolymer | 38.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sodium polyacrylate | 17.5 | 9003-01-4 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium acrylic acid/MA copolymer | 16.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polyol ethoxylate esters | PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate | 29.4 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| PEG-200 hydrogenated glyceryl palmate | 22.0 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polysorbate 20 | 17.2 | 9005-64-5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polyethers and copolymers | PPG-26 | 23.2 | 25322-69-4 | ✓ | ✓b | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Copolymer of PEG/vinyl acetate | 11.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyethylene glycol | 10.0 | 25322-68-3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Starch and derivatives | Dextrin | 51.6 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Oryza sativa (rice) starch | 18.7 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate | 8.1 | 68425-17-2; 738602-93-2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Silicones | Dimethicone | 49.3 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dimethiconol | 14.4 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Trimethylsiloxysilicate | 7.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyquaterniums | Polyquaternium-7 | 59.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗c | ✗ |
| Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride | 17.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyquaternium-10 | 8.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗c | ✓ | |
| Polyvinyl alcohol | Polyvinyl alcohol | 96.1 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Polyvinyl alcohol film | 2.0 | ✗ | ✓d | ✗ | ✗ | ✓d | ✓d | |
| Thermal shrinkable PVOH film | 2.0 | ✗ | ✓d | ✗ | ✗ | ✓d | ✓d | |
| Cellulose and derivatives | Hydroxyethyl cellulose | 39.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cellulose gum | 30.5 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Microcrystalline cellulose | 16.7 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Note: Summary includes wastewater treatment (WWT) removal data, measured environmental concentration (MEC) data, biodegradability data, and ecotoxicity data compiled and discussed in the present study. Ticks (✓) indicate that data are available, and crosses (✗) indicate data gaps.
Many polymers correspond to multiple CAS numbers, and often only some of these CAS numbers have corresponding REACH registration dossiers; therefore for any polymers which do have one or multiple REACH registration dossiers, the CAS numbers corresponding to these dossiers are listed. These were determined from the ECHA Information on Chemicals database (ECHA, 2020).
MEC concentrations in water are only available for PPG of lower chain lengths (than PPG-26).
Some limited data are available (Duis et al., 2021), however insufficient experimental details mean further data are required.
Assuming that polyvinyl alcohol film and thermal shrinkable polyvinyl alcohol film contain only polyvinyl alcohol.
Summary of the availability of data and key knowledge gaps for the top three polymers (by relative emissions) in each of the 10 polymer groups with highest down-the-drain emissions (MDTT).
| Group . | Polymer . | Contribution to group (%) . | REACH dossier (CAS)a . | WWT removal . | MEC (water) . | MEC (soil) . | Biodegradability . | Ecotoxicity . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol ethoxylate salts | Sodium laureth sulfate | 70.1 | 68891-38-3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MEA-laureth sulfate | 15.7 | 157627-92-4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium C12-15 pareth sulfate | 4.9 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Alcohol alkoxylates | Laureth-4 | 14.2 | 68439-50-9; 9002-92-0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PEG/PPG-10/2 propylheptyl ether | 9.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| C11-15 Pareth-7 | 7.2 | 68131-40-8 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polycarboxylates | Styrene/acrylates copolymer | 38.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sodium polyacrylate | 17.5 | 9003-01-4 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium acrylic acid/MA copolymer | 16.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polyol ethoxylate esters | PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate | 29.4 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| PEG-200 hydrogenated glyceryl palmate | 22.0 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polysorbate 20 | 17.2 | 9005-64-5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polyethers and copolymers | PPG-26 | 23.2 | 25322-69-4 | ✓ | ✓b | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Copolymer of PEG/vinyl acetate | 11.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyethylene glycol | 10.0 | 25322-68-3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Starch and derivatives | Dextrin | 51.6 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Oryza sativa (rice) starch | 18.7 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate | 8.1 | 68425-17-2; 738602-93-2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Silicones | Dimethicone | 49.3 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dimethiconol | 14.4 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Trimethylsiloxysilicate | 7.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyquaterniums | Polyquaternium-7 | 59.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗c | ✗ |
| Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride | 17.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyquaternium-10 | 8.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗c | ✓ | |
| Polyvinyl alcohol | Polyvinyl alcohol | 96.1 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Polyvinyl alcohol film | 2.0 | ✗ | ✓d | ✗ | ✗ | ✓d | ✓d | |
| Thermal shrinkable PVOH film | 2.0 | ✗ | ✓d | ✗ | ✗ | ✓d | ✓d | |
| Cellulose and derivatives | Hydroxyethyl cellulose | 39.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cellulose gum | 30.5 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Microcrystalline cellulose | 16.7 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group . | Polymer . | Contribution to group (%) . | REACH dossier (CAS)a . | WWT removal . | MEC (water) . | MEC (soil) . | Biodegradability . | Ecotoxicity . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol ethoxylate salts | Sodium laureth sulfate | 70.1 | 68891-38-3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MEA-laureth sulfate | 15.7 | 157627-92-4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium C12-15 pareth sulfate | 4.9 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Alcohol alkoxylates | Laureth-4 | 14.2 | 68439-50-9; 9002-92-0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PEG/PPG-10/2 propylheptyl ether | 9.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| C11-15 Pareth-7 | 7.2 | 68131-40-8 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polycarboxylates | Styrene/acrylates copolymer | 38.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sodium polyacrylate | 17.5 | 9003-01-4 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium acrylic acid/MA copolymer | 16.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polyol ethoxylate esters | PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate | 29.4 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| PEG-200 hydrogenated glyceryl palmate | 22.0 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polysorbate 20 | 17.2 | 9005-64-5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Polyethers and copolymers | PPG-26 | 23.2 | 25322-69-4 | ✓ | ✓b | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Copolymer of PEG/vinyl acetate | 11.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyethylene glycol | 10.0 | 25322-68-3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Starch and derivatives | Dextrin | 51.6 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Oryza sativa (rice) starch | 18.7 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate | 8.1 | 68425-17-2; 738602-93-2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Silicones | Dimethicone | 49.3 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dimethiconol | 14.4 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Trimethylsiloxysilicate | 7.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyquaterniums | Polyquaternium-7 | 59.2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗c | ✗ |
| Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride | 17.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Polyquaternium-10 | 8.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗c | ✓ | |
| Polyvinyl alcohol | Polyvinyl alcohol | 96.1 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Polyvinyl alcohol film | 2.0 | ✗ | ✓d | ✗ | ✗ | ✓d | ✓d | |
| Thermal shrinkable PVOH film | 2.0 | ✗ | ✓d | ✗ | ✗ | ✓d | ✓d | |
| Cellulose and derivatives | Hydroxyethyl cellulose | 39.5 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cellulose gum | 30.5 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Microcrystalline cellulose | 16.7 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Note: Summary includes wastewater treatment (WWT) removal data, measured environmental concentration (MEC) data, biodegradability data, and ecotoxicity data compiled and discussed in the present study. Ticks (✓) indicate that data are available, and crosses (✗) indicate data gaps.
Many polymers correspond to multiple CAS numbers, and often only some of these CAS numbers have corresponding REACH registration dossiers; therefore for any polymers which do have one or multiple REACH registration dossiers, the CAS numbers corresponding to these dossiers are listed. These were determined from the ECHA Information on Chemicals database (ECHA, 2020).
MEC concentrations in water are only available for PPG of lower chain lengths (than PPG-26).
Some limited data are available (Duis et al., 2021), however insufficient experimental details mean further data are required.
Assuming that polyvinyl alcohol film and thermal shrinkable polyvinyl alcohol film contain only polyvinyl alcohol.
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