Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1470959
ML ML www.machinerylubrication.com | May - June 2022 | 37 oil spills. Have you ever read the SDS/MSDS for a lubricant? ere is a whole bunch of stuff in there that isn't good for living things to consume. What can we do about any of this? ere are regulations in place that give us a window into what is "safe" (safer) for the environment when it comes to oil spills. Testing is done in controlled environments to help us determine how much of a risk we are creating for ourselves, our families and the wildlife. A couple of different standards are used in determining the toxicity of substances, and it can get a little confusing. ere are only a few hundred pages of regulations, tests and methods (in multiple languages), which, to be honest, makes things a bit of a nightmare — especially when you take a look at an SDS/MSDS and all you see are two lines with minimal explanation, like the following, which shows the results of toxicity tests performed on two different species: Oncorhynchus Mykiss and Daphnia Magna. The "LL50 1003 mg/l" part tells you that the test was done with a load of 1,003 mg of the lubricant per liter of water in the reservoir. At this load, there was a < 50% death rate of the fish in the 96-hour test period. In regard to the fleas, reproduc- tion properties were observed. With a load of 1 mg/l in the fleas' reservoir, there was no obvious change in the reproduction cycles. e NOELR actually stands for "No observed effect loading rate." e Load Limit (LL) is used to show the maximum contamination level before you start killing ML ML ML ML SAFE CONCENTRATION (SC) This one refers to the propagation of the fish. It means the fish repro- duce at normal rates, and no significant changes are seen in their habits and offspring volumes. NO OBSERVABLE EFFECT CONCENTRATION (RATE) (NOEC(R)) This is typically a long test result and looks at the overall life span of the test subjects. The "Rate" is how loaded the test reservoir is; statistical analysis is performed to determine how much of the test oil can be placed in with the subjects without a noticeable change to the lifespan as a whole. LOWEST OBSERVED EFFECT CONCENTRATION (LOEC) This result is given where there is an obvious change in the life cycle of the test subjects and shows at what dilution point change was first observed. EFFECTIVE CONCENTRATION (EC) This one is essentially an estimation or calculation of when you would see a more catastrophic event (meaning there would be an observable difference in how the animals act). This could be a catatonic state, listing or tilting when they swim, or even death. While a 49% death rate is acceptable for the "LL," this figure would push it over that 49% rate. LETHAL CONCENTRATION (LC) This one sounds dire, but it isn't too far off from the LL50 rate. This is the dilution that causes a death rate of >/= 50%. The EC and LC are the same numbers when the observed difference is actual death for the test subjects. INHIBITION CONCENTRATION (IC) Unlike some of the other numbers that look at the death of the test subjects, this one is looking at the reduction of population growth in the animals. You might see an IC25 indicated, meaning that at that specific load level, there was a reduction of growth by 25%. So, an IC50 would mean that the population growth would be around the 50% reduction rate. TEST DURATION ORGANIMS TYPE TEST RESULTS Aquatic - Acute Toxicity 96 hours Oncorhynchus mykiss LL50 1003 mg/l: data for similar Aquatic - Cronic Toxicity 21 days Daphnia magna NOELR 1mg/l: data for similar materials It might be beneficial to know what this stuff means. Oncorhynchus mykiss – Rainbow Trout; these guys are one of a few species used in the testing. Daphnia Magna – A larger common water flea.