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ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT<br />

calculated PEClocalwater may also increase the exposure time by repartitioning to the water phase<br />

over an extended period. For intermittent releases to the aquatic compartment a dedicated PNEC<br />

is used in the risk characterisation (see Section 3.2.2) that has been derived using a method<br />

differing from the usual one.<br />

Where the batch process occurs more frequently than above or is of a longer duration, protection<br />

against short-term effects cannot be guaranteed because fish, rooted plants <strong>and</strong> the majority of<br />

the macro-invertebrates are more likely to be exposed to the substance on the second <strong>and</strong><br />

subsequent emissions. When intermittent release is identified <strong>for</strong> a substance, this is not<br />

necessarily applicable to all releases during the life-cycle.<br />

2.3.3.5 Emissions during service-life of long-life articles<br />

Long-life articles are here defined as articles having a service-life longer than one year.<br />

Substances in such articles may accumulate in society (l<strong>and</strong>fills excluded). The emissions from<br />

long-life articles can be expected to be highest at steady state (i.e. when the flow of an article<br />

into society equals the outflow, see Figure 5). Estimating the emissions often requires<br />

knowledge of the substance use pattern in the preceding years.<br />

There are several mechanisms <strong>for</strong> diffuse emission such as evaporation, leaching, corrosion,<br />

abrasion <strong>and</strong> weathering effects. An additional release route that in some cases is of importance<br />

is when a substance diffuses from one material into another (e.g. from glue material into<br />

construction material). Substances that are slowly emitted from long-life materials are often<br />

characterised by inherent properties such as low water solubility <strong>and</strong> low vapour pressure (e.g.<br />

36<br />

A<br />

C O N T I N E N T A L / R E G I O N A L S C A L E<br />

Accumulated amount of substance<br />

X in the society<br />

Annual input from "production",<br />

"<strong>for</strong>mulation" <strong>and</strong> “industrial/ professional<br />

use”<br />

L O C A L S C A LE<br />

B C<br />

D<br />

L<strong>and</strong><br />

fills<br />

Incineration<br />

sites<br />

Explanation of symbols: Annual flow of substance X in molecular <strong>for</strong>m<br />

Annual flow of substance X in <strong>for</strong>m of articles/m aterials<br />

Figure 5 Emissions from long-life articles at Steady state<br />

(A = B + C + D + E + F + G + H <strong>for</strong> society ;<br />

H = I + J + K <strong>for</strong> “waste remaining in the environment”).<br />

G<br />

H<br />

F<br />

E<br />

Accum ulated amount of substance X in<br />

"waste rem aining in the environm ent"<br />

AIR<br />

I<br />

K<br />

SURFACE<br />

WATER<br />

STP<br />

J K<br />

URBAN /<br />

IND.SOIL

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