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

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Abstract

This risk assessment on tetrachloroethylene (PER) 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, 18 studies for fish, 13 studies for invertebrates and 8 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 51 µg/l. Most of the available monitoring data apply to rivers and estuary waters and were used to calculate PECs. The most recent data (1991-1995) support a typical PEC of 0.2 µg PER/l water and a worst case PEC of 2.5 µg PER/l water. The calculated PEC/PNEC ratios give a safety margin of 20 to 250 between the predicted no effect concentration and the exposure concentration. Additional evaluation of environmental fate and bioaccumulation characteristics showed that no concern is expected for food chain accumulation.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Christ De Rooij

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

    Jean Charles Boutonnet

  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. Brixham Environmental Laboratory, Freshwater Quarry, Brixham, Zeneca Limited, 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. Christ De Rooij
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  3. Veronique Garny
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De Rooij, C., Boutonnet, J.C., Garny, V. et al. Euro Chlor Risk Assessment for the Marine Environment Osparcom Region: North Sea - Tetrachloroethylene. Environ Monit Assess 53, 489–508 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006018717188

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