Ecotoxicity of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and its acetate

Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGBE) and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate (EGBEA) were tested for their acute and chronic toxicity to various organisms occupying different trophic levels in the aquatic ecosystems. The obtained results and those collected from the literature clearly show that EGBE affects the survival, growth, and reproduction of aquatic organisms only at concentrations of approximately 100 mg/L or more. EGBEA appears to be slightly more ecotoxic to aquatic species. At 1000 and 10,000 mg/L, both chemicals strongly affect the early stages of development of the Japanese oyster, but such concentrations are too high to be found in aquatic environments. Micronucleus tests on Xenopus laevis show that EGBE and EGBEA are not genotoxic in the range of concentrations tested. Consequently, neither chemical presents a risk to the aquatic environment. EGBE does affect the gonadosomatic index of adult male zebra fish (Danio rerio), however these are preliminary results and must be confirmed by additional experiments.