No. 1031 - Miljøstyrelsen

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products, clothes, health-care products, etc. Often the siloxanes only account
for a small part of the product, e.g. as defoaming agent.
A large number of different siloxanes are used within each application area.
As an example the Danish Product Register includes 53 different siloxanes
(CAS no.) registered as used in sealants and 98 different siloxanes used in
paints and lacquers. About 200 siloxanes and siloxane derivatives are listed in
the inventory of ingredients used in cosmetic products compiled by the European
Commission (INCI 2000).
The specific siloxanes are often used in many different product types. The
most widely used, polydimethylsiloxane, is in the Danish Product Register
registered as being present in 159 product types. The most widely used of the
cyclic siloxanes, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, is registered in 49 product
types: Paints, cleaning agents, dyes, fillers, polishes, adhesives, etc. In most
product groups the total registered amount is, however, quite small.
Table 1
Consumption of siloxanes in Denmark in 2002
Application area Consumption Percentage Uncertainty * Type of siloxanes
Tonnes/year
Sealants used for construction 920 29 Low Elastomers
Paints, inks and coatings 200 6 Medium Resins, elastomers
Cosmetics and toiletries 240 8 Medium Fluids, volatile fluids
Wax, polishes and cleaning agents 100 3 Medium Fluids, volatile fluids
Mechanical fluids and heat transfer
fluids
50 1.6 Medium Fluids
Textile applications 380 12 High Fluids, elastomers
Processing aids 470 15 Medium Fluids
Paper coating 210 7 Medium Fluids
Health care 110 4 High Elastomers, fluids
Other uses of silicone elastomers 390 13 Medium Elstomers
Other uses of silicone fluids 50 1.6 High Fluids
Total 3,120 100
* Uncertainty indication:
Low : the right value is most probably within a range of x ±25%
Medium: the right value is most probably more than half and less than twice the best estimate
High: the right value may be less than half or more than twice the best estimate
Releases to the environment
The main source of releases of siloxanes to the air is volatile siloxanes used in
cosmetics, wax, polishes, and to a minor extent in several other applications.
No information of the quantity of volatile siloxanes for these applications has
been available, but the volatile siloxanes may account for a significant part of
the siloxanes used for cosmetics, and it is roughly estimated that between 50
and 200 t/year is released to the air. Siloxanes disposed of to municipal solid
waste incineration are deemed nearly 100% to be mineralised by the incineration,
and incineration plants are not considered significant sources of siloxane
releases to the atmosphere.
Non-volatile silicone fluids used in cosmetics, wax, polishes, cleaning products
and for textile applications (softeners) will to a large extent end up in
wastewater and be directed to wastewater treatment plants. The total release