A critical evaluation of the environmental risk assessment for plasticizers in the freshwater environment in Europe, with special emphasis on bisphenol A and endocrine disruption.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and the phthalates di-butyl phthalate (DBP), di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP) and di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) are high production volume plasticizers and are regularly detected in aquatic ecosystems due to their continuous release into the environment. These compounds are listed as priority substances in the European Union and therefore subject to an environmental risk assessment (ERA). Final ERA reports are available for DBP, DIDP and DINP, while the process is still ongoing for BPA and DEHP. The current approach critically reviews the exposure and especially the effect analyses in the reports or drafts, considering also potential endocrine effects of the plasticizers.