Value of the SIRIS method for the classification of a series of 90 chemicals according to risk for the aquatic environment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk to the aquatic environment of 90 chemicals referenced by a European directive. We applied the SIRIS method (System of Integration of Risk with Interaction of Scores), an original mathematical method first described some years ago. It is a scoring system highly appropriate for the estimation of environmental risk. This method, based on four exposure criteria and four effect criteria, was highly efficient for risk assessment and made it possible to display various groups of chemicals and to classify them. This article describes the principles of the SIRIS method and its value for such a concrete application.