RIFM’s Aurelia Lapczynski and colleagues recognized for exceptional aquatic safety research
7.15.25
The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) is proud to announce that a paper by Principal Scientist Aurelia Lapczynski, who leads RIFM’s Environmental Safety Assessment and Research Programs, together with co-authors Scott Belanger, Kristin Connors, and Jared Bozich, has been honored as one of the 10 Exceptional Papers of 2024 by Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (ET&C), published by Oxford Academic.
The award-winning paper, titled “A Chronic Aquatic Hazard Assessment for the Perfume Raw Material Octahydro-tetramethyl-naphthalenyl-ethanone [OTNE]”, presents a comprehensive environmental safety evaluation of OTNE, a high-production-volume fragrance ingredient commonly used in consumer products.
Lapczynski and her colleagues applied a robust species sensitivity distribution approach, a method used to understand how different species react to a chemical, bolstered by new chronic toxicity studies across 11 aquatic species, to derive a scientifically grounded predicted-no-effect concentration (PNEC) for OTNE.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry,” Lapczynski said. “Our research makes OTNE one of the most thoroughly tested fragrance ingredients for long-term effects on aquatic life. This work sets a new benchmark for assessing fragrance materials and helps ensure we’re protecting even the most sensitive organisms.”
RIFM President Anne Marie Api, PhD, Fellow ATS, added, “This recognition underscores the critical role of science in ensuring the safe use of fragrance ingredients. Aurelia’s work exemplifies the excellence and integrity that RIFM strives for in every assessment.” The full article is available at https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5865.