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ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT<br />

2.3.8.4 Calculation of PEClocal <strong>for</strong> sediment<br />

In this section, the following parameter is derived:<br />

• local concentration in sediment during the emission episode.<br />

PEClocal <strong>for</strong> sediment can be compared to the PNEC <strong>for</strong> sediment dwelling organisms. The<br />

concentration in freshly deposited sediment is taken as the PEC <strong>for</strong> sediment, there<strong>for</strong>e, the<br />

properties of suspended matter are used. The concentration in bulk sediment can be derived from<br />

the corresponding water body concentration, assuming a thermodynamic partitioning equilibrium<br />

(see also Di Toro et al., 1991):<br />

Explanation of symbols<br />

78<br />

susp-water<br />

PEClocal sed =<br />

susp<br />

K<br />

RHO<br />

PEClocal<br />

• water • 1000 (50)<br />

PEClocalwater concentration in surface water during emission episode [mg.l -1 ] eq. (48)<br />

Ksusp-water suspended matter-water partitioning coefficient [m 3 .m -3 ] eq. (24)<br />

RHOsusp bulk density of suspended matter [kg.m -3 ] eq. (18)<br />

PEClocalsed predicted environmental concentration in sediment [mg.kg -1 ]<br />

Highly adsorptive substances may not be considered adequately with the approach described<br />

above, as they are often not in equilibrium distribution between water <strong>and</strong> suspended matter<br />

because of their cohesion to the suspended matter; however they may be desorbed after ingestion<br />

by benthic or soil organisms.<br />

In the case when release to the surface water predominately occurs as particles (see Section<br />

2.3.8.3) this calculation may underestimate the sediment concentration. If this is expected to<br />

occur it should be considered in the further evaluation (e.g. when comparing PEC with<br />

monitoring data <strong>and</strong> in the risk characterisation).<br />

2.3.8.5 Calculation of PEClocal <strong>for</strong> the soil compartment<br />

In this section, the following parameters are derived:<br />

• local concentration in agricultural soil (averaged over a certain time period);<br />

• local concentration in grassl<strong>and</strong> (averaged over a certain time period);<br />

• percentage of steady-state situation (to indicate persistency).<br />

Exposure assessment <strong>for</strong> the soil compartment is important with respect to exposure of terrestrial<br />

organisms. Furthermore, crops are grown on agricultural soils <strong>for</strong> human consumption, <strong>and</strong><br />

cattle, producing meat <strong>and</strong> milk, are grazing on grassl<strong>and</strong>s. Figure 10 shows the most important<br />

fate processes in the soil compartment.

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