Use of (eco)toxicity data as screening criteria for the identification and classification of PBT/POP compounds.
Characterization of "significant adverse ecotoxicological effects" of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) presents particular challenges. In the various international conventions on POPs and persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances, guidance on classification is not detailed and, in some cases, is unclear. This paper focuses on several key issues in relation to selection of assessment endpoints, use of appropriate effect measures, and uncertainty in the face of limited data. Because POPs are persistent and bioaccumulative, measures of effect should be based not on concentrations in environmental matrices but rather on residues in the body of the organism or in tissues that are causally linked to adverse responses. To obtain these data, currently used toxicity testing methods may need to be modified or substantiated by toxicokinetic information to ensure that substances with POP-like properties are adequately characterized. These data can be more easily matched to environmental monitoring measurements of body or tissue residues for the purposes of assessing whether adverse effects occur in the environment. In the face of persistence and accumulation in the food chain, and considering the extent and suitability of available data, a suitable policy on the use of uncertainty factors may need to be applied when making judgments about toxicity. This paper offers guidance that can be used to identify candidate POPs that have the potential to cause significant adverse effects in the ecosystem.
Solomon
Keith R
KR
University of Guelph, Centre for Toxicology, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada. ksolomon@uoguelph.ca
Dohmen
Peter
P
Fairbrother
Anne
A
Marchand
Marcelle
M
McCarty
Lynn
L
D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D015386:Hazardous Substances