Environment Canada s Metals Assessment Activities Joël Gauthier Environment Canada OECD Workshop on Metals Specificities in Environmental Risk Assessment September 7-8 2011, Paris
Assessing substances under CEPA 1999 Under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) 1999, the Ministers of the Environment and of Health conduct assessments of substances to determine whether they meet the criteria defined under section 64 of CEPA 1999; i.e., if it is entering or may enter the environment in a quantity or concentration or under conditions that (a) (b) (c) have or may have an immediate or long-term harmful effect on the environment or its biological diversity constitute or may constitute a danger to the environment on which life depends constitute or may constitute a danger in Canada to human life or health
Canada s Domestic Substances List (DSL) Organics 51% Organometallics and Organic Metal salts 6% Polymers 18% Inorganics 5% UVCBs 20% Total: 23 000 substances
Metals Assessments under CEPA
Priority Substances List Assessments Chemicals Management Plan Launch PSL1 & PSL2 Categorization of the DSL The Challenge Assessment of remaining priorities 1988 1999 2006 2011 2020 Priority Substances List assessments e.g.: Chromium and its compounds Cadmium and its compounds Nickel and its Compounds Arsenic and its compounds Emissions from Cu and Zn Smelters and refineries Releases of radionuclides from nuclear facilities
Categorization of substances Chemicals Management Plan Launch PSL1 & PSL2 Categorization of the DSL The Challenge Assessment of remaining priorities 1988 1999 2006 2011 2020 Categorization of the DSL: PBiT approach used for ecologicial categorization of organics; a separate paradigm was not applied for metals BUT their unique properties were considered as appropriate, e.g. for metal salts: - Focus on metal moiety - All were P by default - B was not assessed - Inherent toxicity (aquatic organisms) was a factor of both solubility and toxicity
Categorization of DSL substances ~50 elements with soluble salts met it criteria for aquatic organisms (in red) Periodic Table of the Elements 1A 2A 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B 8B 8B 1B 2B 3A 4A 5A 6A 7A 8A H He Li Be B C N O F Ne Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn Fr Ra Ac Lanthanides Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu Actinides Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr A total of ~1100 metal and inorganic substances met criteria for further action
The Chemicals Management Plan Chemicals Management Plan Launch PSL1 & PSL2 Categorization of the DSL The Challenge Assessment of remaining priorities 1988 1999 2006 2011 2020 In December 2006, the Government of Canada announced the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP), to take immediate action to regulate chemicals that are harmful to human health or the environment, and to carry out further work on the substances identified as priorities.
The Challenge Chemicals Management Plan Launch PSL assessments Categorization of the DSL The Challenge Assessment of remaining priorities 1988 1999 2006 2011 2020 Screening Assessments e.g.: Vanadium pentoxide Antimony oxide Elemental cobalt, cobalt chloride, cobalt sulfate C.I. pigment yellow 34 / red 104
Main components of an ecological screening assessment Identity Physical-Chemical Properties Sources, Uses and Releases to the Environment Fate Persistence and Bioaccumulation Potential Evaluation of characteristics relative to criteria in the Persistence and Bioaccumulation Regulations Effects Characterization Evaluation of ecotoxicity information for aquatic and non-aquatic organisms Exposure Characterization Evaluation of environmental monitoring information and, as needed, modelling of ecological exposure
Main components of an ecological screening assessment (continued) Risk Characterization Quantitative comparison of predicted environmental concentrations to levels causing effects is one important consideration (risk quotient analysis) Additional lines of evidence are described (e.g. temporal trends or geographic distributions of exposure, sensitive habitats or species exposure) Uncertainties Conclusion Conclude whether criteria under s. 64 of CEPA 1999 are met
Future assessments Chemicals Management Plan Launch PSL1 & PSL2 Categorization of the DSL The Challenge Assessment of remaining priorities 1988 1999 2006 2011 2020 Post-Challenge screening assessments (by moiety): Co, Sb, V, Zn, Cu, Ag, Se, Tl, Al, Bi, Au, Be, Ge, Li, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, Sc, Lanthanides, PGEs, BrO 3 -, I- and IO 3 -, CN/HCN, azide (N 3 )
General approach for ecological assessment of metal-containing substances identified as priorities Environment Canada s proposed approach is to group for assessment substances based on a common metal moiety of concern, since metalcontaining substances able to release the same metal ion can contribute to the cumulative loadings, exposure and effects of that metal ion in the environment (i.e. risk).
Approaches currently applied by Environment Canada in ecological assessment of metal-containing substances Interpretation of Persistence Criteria to assess bioconcentration, bioaccumulation and biomagnification (to be presented in Session C) Species Sensitivity Distributions (SSDs)
Examples of topics under development at Environment Canada for ecological assessment of metal-containing substances Biogeochemical background consideration Bioavailability correction Speciation / Complexation Modifying factors for toxicity Use of Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) Soil: linear regression using CEC, ph, ageing factor Organometallics / Organic Metal Salts
Environment Canada s International Involvement with Metals Risk Assessment Environment Canada has been actively involved in reviewing approaches to metals risk assessment internationally: Metals Environmental Risk Assessment Guidance (MERAG) Workshop by UK to support OECD HPV program & REACH OECD SIDS initial assessment reports (SIAR) at SIAM (e.g. iron salts, strontium salts, tungsten carbide, tin compounds, Cu monochloride) EU Risk Assessments (e.g. antimony trioxide)
Further information on Canada s Chemicals Management Plan can be found at www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca Thank you! Merci!