LAB/LAS BULLETIN
|
A Periodic Update from the Council for LAB/LAS Environmental
Research |
JANUARY 2006 |
The LAB/LAS Bulletin is to inform manufacturers and users of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) of national and international developments of interest. For further information on items mentioned, please contact CLER at the address listed below.
MAJOR INTERNATIONAL SAFETY ASSESSMENT
FEATURED IN LATEST CLER REVIEW
(Washington, DC) - A major, internationally-recognized environmental and human health assessment of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) - the world's most widely-studied detergent ingredient - is now available in its entirety in volume 10 of The CLER Review, the technical journal of the Council for LAB/LAS Environmental Research (CLER). More than 250 additional pages of supporting documents are available on CLER's web site, at www.cler.com.
The latest issue of The CLER Review features the SIDS(1) Initial Assessment Report (SIAR) for LAS, a comprehensive assessment recently approved by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which represents the health and environmental regulatory authorities of the 30 most advanced industrialized nations. (2)
The assessment concludes that LAS "is low priority for further work" and thus of low regulatory concern.
"Since LAS is the first cleaning product ingredient to complete the OECD assessment process, the conclusions of the SIDS assessment provide unequalled assurance of the health and environmental safety of LAS," said Dr. John Heinze, CLER's technical director.
The assessment published in The CLER Review
consists of an overview of the SIDS review process, a summary
and conclusions document known as a SIDS Initial Assessment Profile,
and the SIDS Initial Assessment Report (SIAR) document with three
annexes.
For the first time, CLER will also publish a supplement to The CLER Review on its web site. The supplement contains all of the data used to prepare the SIAR and annexes, compiled in the form of robust study summaries. This dossier, which is over 250 pages in length, was also approved by the OECD and is available in full at www.cler.com.
The OECD-approved SIDS assessment of LAS represents the culmination of nine years of collaborative efforts in researching, compiling and assessing the scientific information on the health and environmental properties of LAS by the LAS SIDS Consortium, which consists of the five CLER members (Huntsman Corporation, Petresa International N.V., Quimica Venoco, Sasol North America and YPF SA) and thirteen major LAS/LAB manufacturers or trade associations.(3)
To receive a copy of volume 10 of The CLER Review, email info@cler.com.
1 Screening Information Data
Set, the OECD name for the minimum data requirements for evaluation
of the properties of any chemical submitted for health and environmental
assessment.
2 OECD member countries include: Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg,
Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak
Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom,
and the United States.
3 Center for LAB Environmental and Technical Studies
for Asia (CLETSA), Cognis Deutschland GmbH&Co.KG, Colgate-Palmolive
Company, Kao Corporation, Lion Corporation, Stepan Company, TAYCA
Corporation, The Dial Corporation, The Procter & Gamble Company
and Unilever Household and Personal Care North America. Associate
members included: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Nippon Petrochemicals
Co., Ltd. and W.R. Grace & Company.
# # #
For Further Information
Council for LAB/LAS Environmental
Research (CLER)
529 14th Street, N.W., Suite 807
Washington, DC 20045
ph: 202/737-0171 fax: 202/737-8406
Internet address: www.cler.com