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Euro Chlor Risk Assessment for the Marine Environment Osparcom Region: North Sea - Trichloroethylene

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This risk assessment on trichloroethylene (TRI) was carried out specifically for the marine environment, according to the methodology laid down in the EU risk assessment Regulation (1488/94) and the Guidance Document of the EU New and Existing Substances Regulation (TGD, 1997). The study consists of the collection and evaluation of data on effects and environmental concentrations from analytical monitoring programs in large rivers and estuaries in the North Sea area. The risk is indicated by the ratio of the "predicted environmental concentrations" (PEC) and the "predicted no effect concentrations" (PNEC) for the marine aquatic environment. In total, 19 studies for fish, 30 studies for invertebrates and 14 studies for algae have been evaluated. Both acute and chronic toxicity studies have been taken into account and the appropriate assessment factors have been used to define a PNEC value of 150 µg/l. Most of the available monitoring data apply to rivers and estuaries and were used to calculate PECs. The most recent data (1991-1995) support a typical PEC of 0.1 µg TRI/l water and a worst case PEC of 3.5 µg TRI/l water. The calculated PEC/PNEC ratios give a safety margin of 40 to 1,500 between the predicted no effect concentration and the exposure concentration. Additional evaluation of environmental fate and bioaccumulation characteristics showed that no concern for food chain accumulation is expected.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Elf Atochem SA, Centre d'Application de Levallois, 95 Rue Danton, 92300, Levallois-Perret Cédex, France

    Jean-Charles Boutonnet

  2. Solvay SA, 310 Rue de Ransbeek, 1120, Bruxelles, Belgium

    Christ De Rooij

  3. Euro Chlor, 4 Avenue E Van Nieuwenhuyse, Box 2, 1160, Bruxelles, Belgium

    Veronique Garny & Andre Lecloux

  4. Elf Atochem SA, 4 Cours Michelet, Cédex 42, 92091, Paris la Défense 10, France

    Roger Papp

  5. Zeneca Limited, Brixham Environmental Laboratory, Freshwater Quarry, Brixham, Devon, TQ5 8BA, United Kingdom

    Roy S Thompson

  6. Akzo Nobel Central Research bv, P O Box 9300, 6800 SB, Arnhem, The Netherlands

    Dolf Van Wijk

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  1. Jean-Charles Boutonnet
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  2. Christ De Rooij
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  3. Veronique Garny
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  4. Andre Lecloux
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Boutonnet, JC., De Rooij, C., Garny, V. et al. Euro Chlor Risk Assessment for the Marine Environment Osparcom Region: North Sea - Trichloroethylene. Environ Monit Assess 53, 467–487 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006066600350

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