Environmental hazard assessment of chemicals and products. Part VII. A critical survey of exposure data requirements and testing methods

Environmental exposure analysis may be used for a preliminary judgement — even in the absence of effect data — on the possible environmental behaviour of chemicals, based on relatively few, exactly measurable physico-chemical parameters from which the transfer between the media and (at least partly) also the degradation can be estimated. However, the data presently required by legislation (EU) are frequently based on concepts and experiences in the 70ʹs, a period in which the highly lipophilic compounds were in the center of interest. Although these chemicals continue causing severe environmental problems, polar compounds have recently been identified as potentially dangerous substances. Therefore, it is to be expected that data requirements, testing procedures and modelling will have to be extended and improved in order to meet these new challenges. In order to identify the gaps in the present-day exposure analysis, the transfer- and degradations pathways and the most important parameters are identified and a survey of methods available for measuring the relevant parameters is attempted. Special emphasis is given to internationally agreed testing procedures (OECD).