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technical guidance documents - Institute for Health and Consumer ...

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EFFECTS ASSESSMENT<br />

procedure available to estimate the effect on tropospheric ozone if only the basic characteristics<br />

of a substance are known.<br />

Acidification<br />

During the oxidation of substances containing Cl, F, N or S substituents, acidifying components<br />

(e.g. HCl, HF, NO2 <strong>and</strong> HNO3, SO2 <strong>and</strong> H2SO4) may be <strong>for</strong>med. After deposition, these<br />

oxidation products will lead to acidification of the receiving soil or surface water.<br />

3.8 ASSESSMENT OF SECONDARY POISONING<br />

3.8.1 Introduction<br />

Bioconcentration <strong>and</strong> bioaccumulation may be of concern <strong>for</strong> lipophilic organic chemicals <strong>and</strong><br />

some metal compounds as both direct <strong>and</strong> indirect toxic effects may be observed upon long-term<br />

exposure. For metals <strong>guidance</strong> is given in Appendix VIII. Bioconcentration is defined as the net<br />

result of the uptake, distribution <strong>and</strong> elimination of a substance in an organism due to waterborne<br />

exposure, whereas bioaccumulation includes all routes, i.e. air, water, soil <strong>and</strong> food.<br />

Biomagnification is defined as accumulation <strong>and</strong> transfer of chemicals via the food chain,<br />

resulting in an increase of the internal concentration in organisms at higher levels in the trophic<br />

chain. Secondary poisoning is concerned with toxic effects in the higher members of the food<br />

chain, either living in the aquatic or terrestrial environment, which result from ingestion of<br />

organisms from lower trophic levels that contain accumulated substances.<br />

For many hydrophobic chemicals, accumulation through the food chain follows many different<br />

pathways along different trophic levels. A good risk estimation of this complex process is<br />

hampered when only limited data from laboratory studies are available. One way to assess a<br />

chemicals risk <strong>for</strong> bioaccumulation in aquatic species is to measure the Bioconcentration Factor<br />

(BCF). The static bioconcentration factor is the ratio between the concentration in the organism<br />

<strong>and</strong> the concentration in water in a steady-state (sometimes also called equilibrium) situation.<br />

When uptake <strong>and</strong> depuration kinetics are measured, the dynamic bioconcentration factor can be<br />

calculated from the quotient of the uptake <strong>and</strong> depuration rate constants:<br />

Explanation of symbols<br />

fish<br />

BCF fish =<br />

water<br />

C<br />

C<br />

or k<br />

k<br />

1<br />

2 (73)<br />

Cfish concentration in fish [mg . kg -1 ]<br />

Cwater concentration in water [mg . l -1 ]<br />

k1 uptake rate constant from water [l . kg -1. d -1 ]<br />

k2 elimination rate constant [d -1 ]<br />

BCFfish bioconcentration factor [l . kg -1 ]<br />

For new <strong>and</strong> existing substances, the assessment of these processes is revised as more<br />

in<strong>for</strong>mation becomes available on toxicological <strong>and</strong> ecotoxicological effects <strong>and</strong> exposure. At<br />

the base-set level the available physico-chemical <strong>and</strong> (eco)toxicological in<strong>for</strong>mation can be used<br />

to decide whether or not there are indications <strong>for</strong> a potential <strong>for</strong> bioaccumulation <strong>and</strong>/or indirect<br />

121

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