Follow-up Report on Five PSL1 Substances for Which There Was Insufficient Information to Conclude Whether the Substances Constitute a Danger to the Environment 1,2-Dichlorobenzene 1,4-Dichlorobenzene Trichlorobenzenes Tetrachlorobenzenes Pentachlorobenzene December 2003 ii Table of Contents SYNOPSIS......................................................................................................................................1 1.0 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................3 2.0 ENTRY CHARACTERIZATION..........................................................................................4 2.1 ANTHROPOGENIC RELEASES IN CANADA.................................................................................4 3.0 EXPOSURE CHARACTERIZATION..................................................................................5 3.1 ENVIRONMENTAL FATE ...........................................................................................................5 3.1.1 Sediment..........................................................................................................................5 3.1.2 Soil ..................................................................................................................................5 3.1.3 Biota................................................................................................................................6 3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCENTRATIONS ......................................................................................6 3.2.1 Sediment near point sources...........................................................................................6 3.2.2 Long-range transport......................................................................................................7 3.2.3 Soil ..................................................................................................................................8 4.0 EFFECTS CHARACTERIZATION......................................................................................9 4.1 BENTHIC ORGANISMS ..............................................................................................................9 4.2 SOIL-DWELLING BIOTA..........................................................................................................11 5.0 ASSESSMENT OF “TOXIC” UNDER CEPA 1999 ..........................................................11 5.1 CEPA 64(A): ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................11 5.2 PERSISTENCE AND BIOACCUMULATION CRITERIA AS DEFINED IN THE PERSISTENCE AND BIOACCUMULATION REGULATIONS OF CEPA 1999....................................................................12 5.2.1 Persistence ....................................................................................................................12 5.2.1.1 Sediment ................................................................................................................12 5.2.1.2 Soil .........................................................................................................................12 5.2.1.3 Air ..........................................................................................................................13 5.2.2 Bioaccumulation ...........................................................................................................13 5.3 ASSESSMENT ENDPOINTS.......................................................................................................13 5.4 ENVIRONMENTAL RISK CHARACTERIZATION .........................................................................13 5.4.1 Sediment........................................................................................................................13 5.4.1.1 Determination of Estimated No-Effects Values (ENEVSEDs)................................14 5.4.1.2 Determination of risk quotients for sediments.......................................................14 5.4.2 Soil ................................................................................................................................16 5.4.2.1 Determination of Estimated No-Effects Values (ENEVSOILs)...............................16 5.4.2.2 Determination of risk quotients for soils ...............................................................16 5.5 SOURCES OF UNCERTAINTY ...................................................................................................16 5.6 CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................................18 6.0 CONSIDERATIONS FOR FOLLOW-UP..........................................................................19 ii 7.0 REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................20 APPENDIX 1. PERSISTENCE AND BIOACCUMULATION CRITERIA AS DEFINED IN THE PERSISTENCE AND BIOACCUMULATION REGULATIONS OF CEPA 1999 .......................................................................................................................................................38 APPENDIX 2. SEARCH STRATEGY - NEW INFORMATION FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF "TOXIC" TO THE ENVIRONMENT UNDER PARAGRAPH 64 (A) OF CEPA 1999 .......................................................................................................................................................39 iii List of Tables Table 1. Summary of information on production and uses of CBzs in Canada1 ...........................28 Table 2. Concentration of CBzs in sewage sludge ........................................................................28 Table 3. Recent OC-normalized CBz concentrations, reported as median values, in Canadian sediments near point sources .................................................................................................29 Table 4. Median OC-normalized CBz concentrations in soils ......................................................30 Table 5. Percentage of freshwater test populations (Hexagenia spp. and Tubifex tubifex) affected by CBz exposure (µg/g OC normalized1) after 21-day and 28-day exposures, respectively (Day et al., 1995) ...................................................................................................................31 Table 6. Lowest concentrations of CBzs causing effects on the marine amphipod Rhepoxynius abronius (Doe et al., 1995)....................................................................................................32 Table 7. Lowest effect concentration estimates in sediment (µg/g OC) based on effects data for water column organisms, calculated using the EqP method..................................................33 Table 8. Lowest effect concentrations (µg/g OC) for lettuce and earthworms .............................34 Table 9. CTVSEDs selected for benthic freshwater and marine organisms ....................................35 Table 10. Application factors and derived ENEVSEDs for benthic organisms (freshwater and marine) ...................................................................................................................................35 Table 11. Risk quotients for benthic organisms, based on maximum EEVs (EEVSEDs) for Canadian sediments ...............................................................................................................36 Table 12. Determination of ENEVSOILs for soil-dwelling organisms............................................36 Table 13. Risk quotients for terrestrial organisms, based on maximum EEVs (EEVSOILs) for Canadian soils ........................................................................................................................37 iv List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ACR acute to chronic ratio AET Apparent Effect Threshold BAF bioaccumulation factor BCF bioconcentration factor CBz chlorobenzene CBzs chlorobenzenes (1,2-dichlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, trichlorobenzenes, tetrachlorobenzenes, pentachlorobenzene) CEPA Canadian Environmental Protection Act CEPA 1999 Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 CTV Critical Toxicity Value CTVSED Critical Toxicity Value for sediments DCB dichlorobenzene 1,2-DCB 1,2-dichlorobenzene 1,4-DCB 1,4-dichlorobenzene dw dry weight EC50 median effective concentration EEV Estimated Exposure Value ENEV Estimated No-Effects Value ENEVSED Estimated No-Effects Value for sediments ENEVSOIL Estimated No-Effects Value for soils EqP equilibrium partitioning HC5 hazardous concentration for 5% of exposed organisms Kow octanol-water partition coefficient LC50 median lethal concentration LC90 lethal concentration to 90% of the test organisms LOEC Lowest-Observed-Effect Concentration MDL method detection limit NOEC No-Observed-Effect Concentration NPRI National Pollutant Release Inventory OC organic carbon PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls PSL Priority Substances List PSL1 first Priority Substances List QCB pentachlorobenzene STP sewage treatment plant TCB trichlorobenzene TeCBs tetrachlorobenzenes v SYNOPSIS 1,2-Dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB), 1,4-dichlorobenzene (1,4-DCB), trichlorobenzenes (TCBs), tetrachlorobenzenes (TeCBs) and pentachlorobenzene (QCB), which appeared on the first Priority Substances List (PSL1), were assessed to determine whether these substances should be considered “toxic” as defined under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). It was concluded in the PSL1 assessment that these compounds were not “toxic” under Paragraphs