Toxicity of quaternary ammonium ionic liquids to aquatic organisms
Justyna ZACKIEWICZ*, Agata JAKUBOWSKA, Elżbieta GRABIŃSKA-SOTA – Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland

Please cite as: CHEMIK 2015, 69, 8, 477–484

Ionic liquids are simple mixtures of cations and anions. These compounds are identified by the acronym ILs. ILs are liquids in low temperature, and their melting point is below 100°C [1]. Quaternary ammonium ionic liquids (QAILs) are composed of cation with positive charged nitrogen atom with long alkyl chains and organic or inorganic anions. It was found that cation have large impact on toxicity of ionic liquids [2], while anion have impact only on physical properties of these compounds, like melting point or viscosity [1]. Quaternary ammonium ionic liquids are widely used in industry and agriculture as pesticides, fungicides, corrosion inhibitors, disinfectants, emulsifiers, surfactants and they are also used in synthesis, and catalysis [3].

Presence of ammonium compounds in environment are confirmed in many analyses. For example, Quaternary Ammonium Compounds were detected in low concentrations in the North Sea (120 – 270 ng/ dm3) and in the Austrian rivers (1.9 μg/dm3) [4, 5]. These compounds are present in environment as a result of waste water treatment plants effluents, accidental spills and being washed out of the site of application (protection of wood against fungi) [3].

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