technical guidance documents - Institute for Health and Consumer ...
technical guidance documents - Institute for Health and Consumer ...
technical guidance documents - Institute for Health and Consumer ...
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EFFECTS ASSESSMENT<br />
For some chemicals results from field measurements are available. Although interpretation is<br />
often difficult, these results can be used to support the assessment of risks due to secondary<br />
poisoning (Ma, 1994).<br />
The first step in the assessment strategy is to consider whether there are indications <strong>for</strong><br />
bioaccumulation potential. These indications have been discussed in the previous section.<br />
Subsequently, it is necessary to consider whether the substance has a potential to cause toxic<br />
effects if accumulated in higher organisms. This assessment is based on classifications on the<br />
basis of mammalian toxicity data, i.e. the classification Very Toxic (T+) or Toxic (T) or harmful<br />
(Xn) with at least one of the risk phrases R48 “Danger of serious damage to health by prolonged<br />
exposure”, R60 “May impair fertility”, R61 “May cause harm to the unborn child”, R62 “Possible<br />
risk of impaired fertility”, R63 “Possible risk of harm to the unborn child”, R64 “May cause harm to<br />
breastfed babies”. Here it is assumed that the available mammalian toxicity data can give an<br />
indication on the possible risks of the chemical to higher organisms in the environment.<br />
The current, either qualitative or quantitative, approach in the human health risk assessment <strong>for</strong><br />
genotoxic carcinogens is not practicable in the environmental part. Tumor incidence rates <strong>for</strong> a<br />
genotoxic carcinogen <strong>and</strong> subsequent cancer risks are related to individual risks in man <strong>and</strong> it is<br />
in most cases difficult to link those effects to populations. Endangoured species might be an<br />
exception, particularly those characterized by long-life-cycles where individuals may need to be<br />
protected to support survival of the species. It is not unlikely, however, that the conservative<br />
approach followed in the risk assessment <strong>for</strong> man indirectly exposed via the environment <strong>for</strong><br />
genotoxic substances, will also be protective <strong>for</strong> individual top predators.<br />
If a substance is classified accordingly or if there are other indications (e.g. endocrine<br />
disruption), an assessment of secondary poisoning is per<strong>for</strong>med.<br />
A schematic view of the assessment scheme <strong>for</strong> the exposure route water → aquatic organisms<br />
→ fish → fish-eating mammal or fish-eating bird described above is given in Figure 14.<br />
Water<br />
Aquatic organism<br />
Figure 14. Assessment of secondary poisoning<br />
Fish<br />
PECoral,predator<br />
from<br />
BCF & BMF<br />
Fish-eating<br />
predator<br />
No specific assessment of the risk to fish as a result of the combined intake of contaminants from<br />
water <strong>and</strong> contaminated food (aquatic organism) is considered necessary as this is assumed to be<br />
covered by the aquatic risk assessment <strong>and</strong> the risk assessment <strong>for</strong> secondary poisoning of fisheating<br />
predators.<br />
The risk to the fish-eating predators (mammals <strong>and</strong>/or birds) is calculated as the ratio between<br />
the concentration in their food (PECoralpredator) <strong>and</strong> the no-effect-concentration <strong>for</strong> oral intake<br />
(PNECoral). The concentration in fish is a result of uptake from the aqueous phase <strong>and</strong> intake of<br />
contaminated food (aquatic organisms). Thus, PECoralpredator is calculated from the<br />
bioconcentration factor (BCF) <strong>and</strong> a biomagnification factor (BMF). Note that PECoralpredator<br />
could also be calculated <strong>for</strong> other relevant species that are part of the food of predators.<br />
The details of the individual assessment steps are described in the following sections.<br />
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