Protocol for the Derivation of Environmental and Human ... - CCME

Part A, Section 2
ingestion, and skin absorption) are estimated. The soil quality guideline will be established after
accounting for this background exposure so that the total tolerable contaminant intake is not exceeded.
2.3.2 Protecting the Environment
The protocol requires that a literature review be conducted to determine the environmental fate and
behaviour of the contaminant and its toxicity in soil. For non-bioaccumulating contaminants, a standard
procedure is used to derive an effects-based soil quality guidelines for soil-dependent organisms (i.e.,
invertebrates, plants, microbes) from acceptable toxicity data. For higher trophic level consumers (i.e.,
livestock, terrestrial wildlife), pathways have been identified to derive environmental quality guidelines
which consider the ingestion of contaminated soil and food.
2.4 Land Use
Generic effects-based soil quality guidelines are derived according to four broad land use categories
(agricultural, residential/parkland, commercial, and industrial). Guidelines are derived to protect human
and key ecological receptors that sustain "normal" activities on these lands. To maintain the generic
nature of the guidelines, generic land use scenarios must be envisioned for each category based on the
"normal" activities on these lands. A generic land use scenario is based on how the land is used, and
how sensitive and dependent the activity is on the land. Sensitivity to contamination increases among
ecological or human health components most dependent on land use activities (i.e., agricultural and
residential/parkland) (see Figure 3). The generic scenario for commercial land is less stringent than
agricultural and residential/parkland, but can be as stringent than for industrial lands depending on the
particular uses. The SEQCCS acknowledges that the generic land use scenario envisioned for each
category may not always be site-specific. However, this exercise was conducted to provide the
conditions (e.g., receptors and pathways of exposure) necessary to derive generic guidelines for each
land use category.
The definition of each land use must be broad enough to accommodate generic conditions. The
definition provided for each land use puts boundaries on the receptors and exposure pathways
considered for guidelines derivation for that land use.
Agricultural: where the primary land use is growing crops or tending livestock. This also includes
agricultural lands that provide habitat for resident and transitory wildlife and native flora (e.g., transition
zones).
Residential/Parkland: where the primary activity is residential or recreational activity. The
ecologically-based approach assumes parkland is used as a buffer between areas of residency, but this
does not include wildlands such as national or provincial parks, other than campground areas.
Commercial: where the primary activity is commercial (e.g., shopping mall) and not residential or
manufacturing. This does not include operations where food is grown.
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