Environmental Monitoring

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The Ultimate Control: Measuring Directly in the Environment
Low levels of consumer product ingredients can occur in river water, soil, sediments, the ocean and a variety of other environmental compartments. Environmental fate scientists estimate these concentrations by using exposure models or by directly measuring the concentration in the environment.

While our exposure models are good, there is no substitute for collecting samples from the environment, bringing the sample into the laboratory and using analytical chemistry to precisely measure the concentration of consumer product ingredients in the sample. This monitoring data is used directly in our risk assessments and is the best type of data to get. This data is also used to help refine our exposure models.

P&G scientists have conducted monitoring studies for more than 35 years in these areas of the world:
  • North America (U.S. and Canada)
  • South America (Venezuela and Peru)
  • Europe (U.K., The Netherlands, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia)
  • Middle East and Africa (Egypt)
  • Asia (Japan, The Philippines)
Not only does monitoring data help us improve our exposure models, it also helps us improve our laboratory fate tests. Monitoring studies often assess product ingredient loss in the following variety of environmental compartments:
  • Municipal wastewater treatment plants
  • Septic systems
  • Sludge amended soils
  • River waters
  • Groundwater systems
Sometimes this real world data indicates that we can improve one of our QSPRs or laboratory fate tests so that they better predict environmental concentrations. This linkage between the computer, the laboratory and the real environment leads to constant improvement in our ability to understand the concentration of P&G ingredients in the environment and a constant improvement in our risk assessment capabilities.
Relevant Publications
  • Matthijs, E., Holt, M.S., Kiewiet, A., and Rijs, G.B.J., 1999. Environmental Monitoring for Linear Alkylbenzene Sulphonate (LAS), Alcohol Ethoxylate (AE), Alcohol Ethoxy Sulphate (AES), Alcohol Sulphate (AS) and Soap. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 18, pp. 2634-2644.
  • Matthijs, E., 1998. Trace Analysis of Anionic Surfactants in Laboratory Test Liquors and Environmental Samples. In Cross, J. (Ed.), Analytical Chemistry of Anionic Surfactants, Surfactant Science Series, Volume 73. Marcel Dekker Inc.