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RISK CARACTERISATION<br />

5 RISK CHARACTERISATION<br />

5.1 INTRODUCTION<br />

Having conducted the exposure assessment <strong>and</strong> the dose (concentration) - response (effect)<br />

assessment <strong>for</strong> all environmental compartments, either a quantitative risk characterisation or a<br />

qualitative risk characterisation is carried out.<br />

The quantitative risk characterisation is carried out by comparing the PEC with the PNEC. This<br />

is done separately <strong>for</strong> each of the environmental compartments identified in Section 1.2 <strong>and</strong><br />

Tables 1 <strong>and</strong> 2:<br />

Inl<strong>and</strong> environmental compartments:<br />

• aquatic ecosystem;<br />

• terrestrial ecosystem;<br />

• atmosphere;<br />

• top predators;<br />

• microorganisms in sewage treatment plants.<br />

Marine environmental compartments:<br />

• aquatic ecosystem;<br />

• top predators.<br />

A list of the different PEC/PNEC ratios that should be considered <strong>for</strong> the inl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> marine<br />

environments is given in Tables 32 <strong>and</strong> 33, respectively. Depending on whether the risk<br />

characterisation is per<strong>for</strong>med <strong>for</strong> a new substance, <strong>for</strong> an existing substance or <strong>for</strong> a biocidal<br />

active substance, different conclusions can be drawn on the basis of the PEC/PNEC ratio <strong>for</strong> the<br />

different endpoints, <strong>and</strong> different strategies can be followed when PEC/PNEC ratios greater than<br />

one are observed. There<strong>for</strong>e, the descriptions of the risk characterisation approaches are given<br />

separately <strong>for</strong> new substances, <strong>for</strong> existing substances <strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong> biocides. However, a number of<br />

general premises apply to the procedures that have to be followed. These are given first.<br />

Table 32 Overview of PEC/PNEC ratios considered <strong>for</strong> inl<strong>and</strong> risk assessment *<br />

172<br />

Local Regional<br />

PEClocalwater/PNECwater PECregionalwater/PNECwater<br />

PEClocalsediment/PNECsediment PECregionalsediment/PNECsediment<br />

PEClocalsoil/PNECsoil PECregionalagr.soil/PNECsoil<br />

PECstp/PNECmicroorganisms<br />

(0.5 . PEClocal,oralfish + 0.5 . PECregional,oralfish)/PNECoral<br />

(0.5 . PEClocal,oralworm + 0.5 . PECregional,oralworm)/PNECoral<br />

* It has to be noted that these ratios have to be derived <strong>for</strong> all stages of the life-cycle of a compound.

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