Follow Ricardo Chemical Solutions for regular updatesDownload our free tool, designed to respond to the highly complex challenges faced by the chemicals industry: biodegradation testing and persistence assessments.
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Providing competent, innovative and independent scientific advice to deliver solutions to the specific challenges our customers face.
We deliver scientific advice and expertise across a broad range of hazard and risk assessment and wider regulatory issues, including providing support for businesses placing chemical products, substances and mixtures on markets, monitoring lists, and evaluating regulatory tests. Our team of experts provide specialist support and guidance in developing alternative approaches to standard testing requirements.
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Interest Group for Persistence Science
Venue to discuss and foster advancements in the development and understanding of chemical degradation and persistence.
Career Opportunities
Join our expanding environmental risk solutions team and help us make the world a more safe and sustainable place.
Platforms and posters
A rising interest in understanding the impact of micro- and nano-plastic particles (MNP) and ecotoxicological effects on terrestrial ecosystems highlights issues with the reporting of MNP properties and a lack of environmental representativeness. By examining the differences between engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and MNP terrestrial effects studies, we aim to identify opportunities to enhance MNP studies.
Higher tier biodegradation simulation tests are used to assess the degradation kinetics and transformation products of substances under realistic environmental conditions. Data from such tests are utilised in persistence assessments and are information requirements under several chemical regulations in the EU, such as REACH and Plant Protection Products Regulation (PPPR). Simulation tests include the OECD test guideline (TG) for testing of chemicals in surface water – the OECD TG 309.
In this presentation, the assessment of volatile hydrophobic substances under OECD TG 309 will be explored in the context of both behaviour of the test substance and guideline validity criteria. Potential adapted and alternative test systems for assessing degradation rates in surface water will be presented and discussed, and recommendations for future research to further develop suitable test systems.
Water generated during the production of oil and gas from offshore wells contains a complex mixture of dissolved and particulate organic and inorganic substances, including naturally occurring substances (NOS) from geological formations such as hydrocarbons, metals, and chemicals intentionally added during production. Some components of produced water have hazardous properties including environmental persistence, toxicity, potential for endocrine activity, and potential to bioaccumulate in marine organisms. Consequently, produced water discharges are heavily regulated.
The International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) previously published reports describing the fate and effects of NOS in produced water. In the two decades since publication, a review of evidence was performed and an updated overview of NOS in produced water has been produced to highlight the environmental risks from produced water discharges in the marine environment.
Chemical manufacturers are utilising cradle-to-gate life cycle assessments to report the environmental impacts of their products under methodologies such as Together For Sustainability (ISO14067) and Product Environmental Footprint. These platforms allow practitioners to switch between -1/1 and 0/0 methods but background datasets e.g., ecoinvent used by platforms to apply allocation, doesn’t always align to the physical allocation required for carbon flow modelling. This could lead to practitioners drawing inaccurate conclusions particularly when undertaking comparative LCA.
Aiming to address the disparity, the project seeks to create a calculation to characterise and balance carbon flows, to identify where the imbalance occurs and automatically propose a correction. This calculation could be applied to any ecoinvent material process and would enable users to report GWP impacts under a -1/1 method that balance carbon flows. This should help avoid inaccurate assessments under systems like ISO14067.
With ExxonMobil
Persistence assessments are an increasingly important component in regulatory evaluation and management of industrial chemicals – especially with the newly added hazard classes under CLP. However, complex, costly and technically challenging. Ricardo supports a new project which aims to identify critical factors to assist with stakeholder decision making.
Environmental chemistry and toxicology
The global sustainability agenda is forcing governments to radically reconsider how we use chemicals, and their impact on human health and the environment.
Providing end-to-end solutions for organisations utilising chemicals, substances and mixtures in their product manufacture or processes, Ricardo's environmental and chemistry experience can support businesses in finding new and alternative solutions with measured and researched approaches to product design and innovation. Through accurate testing and detailed research, oraganisations are able to maintain their resilience and minimise risk, even during periods of regulatory change.
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SETAC Seville offered a great opportunity to learn, debate, and network. Full reflection on the concepts, innovations and developments is coming soon.
Meet the experts
Attending the SETAC 2024 event, our in house chemistry and toxicology experts can be contacted via the links below.
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Join our team of passionate product safety specialists and toxicology experts, and together, we can make a profound impact on one of the world's most critical industries. Help us create a safer, more sustainable world.
