Environmental risk limits for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

339 Pages·2012·1.97 MB·English

Environmental risk limits for polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
For direct aquatic, benthic, and terrestrial
toxicity
RIVM report 607711007/2012
E.M.J. Verbruggen
National Insitute for Public Health
and the Environment
P.O. Box 1 | 3720 BA Bilthoven
www.rivm.com
Environmental risk limits for polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
For direct aquatic, benthic, and terrestrial toxicity

RIVM Report 607711007/2012
RIVM Report 607711007
Colophon

© RIVM 2012
Parts of this publication may be reproduced, provided acknowledgement is given
to the 'National Institute for Public Health and the Environment', along with the
title and year of publication.

E.M.J. Verbruggen

Contact:
Eric Verbruggen
Expertise Centre for Substances (SEC)
[email protected]
This investigation has been performed by order and for the account of Ministry
of Infrastructure and Environment (I&M), within the framework of Soil Quality,
Prevention and Risk Assessment
Page 2 of 337
RIVM Report 607711007
Abstract
Environmental risk limits for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
For direct aquatic, benthic, and terrestrial toxicity

RIVM derived maximum permissible concentrations (MPCs) and serious risk
concentrations (SRC) for ecosystems for the 16 well-known polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs). This is done for all individual PAHs for water, sediment
and soil. Data on the toxic effects were collected for each PAH in water, soil and
sediment organisms. For this study, the methodology of the framework
‘International and national environmental quality standards for substances in the
Netherlands’ (INS) is used. This method is nationally recognized and where
possible, based on European directives.

Alternative research method for environmental risk limits PAHs
In this study the environmental risk limits were also derived in an alternative
way. For this goal, the knowledge was used from previous research on the
environmental risk limits of mineral oil that was suitable for PAHs as well. The
environmental risk limits are derived based on the calculated concentration of
substances in the organisms after they have taken up the substances from the
water (for sediment and soil: water in sediment or soil moisture). This method is
based on the assumption that certain effects of all 16 PAHs occur at the same
concentrations in organisms that live in water, soil and sediment. Because PAHs
cause effects in the same way, the concentrations can be added together. This
provides insight into the effect of all PAHs simultaneously, as they occur in the
environment (toxic unit aproach).

Difference in internal and external concentrations
The internal effect concentration of PAHs does not differ between organisms in
soil, water and sediment. In contrast, large differences between the effect
concentrations of the substances outside the organisms were observed.
Especially the effect concentrations between soil or sediment on the one hand
and water on the other hand were different, and also the effect concentrations of
individual PAHs in water. The harmful effects of the substances are thus largely
determined by the extent to which a substance is partitioned between water, soil
and sediment, and is taken up from water (equilibrium partitioning). As an
example, soil binds a substance strongly, so less will end up in soil moisture and
eventually in soil organisms. Measurements of concentrations of substances in
the environment would thus be better based on concentrations in water.

Keywords:
naphthalene, acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, fluorene, phenanthrene,
anthracene, pyrene, fluoranthene, chrysene, benz[a]anthracene,
benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene,
benzo[ghi]perylene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene

Page 3 of 337
RIVM Report 607711007

Page 4 of 337
RIVM Report 607711007
Rapport in het kort
Milieurisicogrenzen voor polycyclische aromatische koolwaterstoffen
(PAK’s)
Voor directe aquatische, benthische en terrestrische toxiciteit

Het RIVM heeft de maximaal toelaatbare risiconiveaus (MTR) en ernstige
risisconiveaus (ER) voor ecosystemen afgeleid voor de 16 bekendste
polycyclische aromatische koolwaterstoffen (PAK’s). Dit is voor alle afzonderlijke
PAK’s gedaan voor water, sediment en bodem. Hiervoor zijn gegevens
verzameld over de giftige effecten van elke PAK op water-, bodem- en
sedimentorganismen. Voor het onderzoek is de methodologie van het kader
‘(Inter)nationale normen stoffen’ (INS) gebruikt. Deze methode is nationaal
erkend en waar mogelijk gebaseerd op Europese richtlijnen.

Alternatieve onderzoekswijze voor milieurisicogrenzen PAK’s
In dit onderzoek zijn de milieurisicogrenzen ook op een alternatieve manier
afgeleid. Hiervoor is de kennis gebruikt van eerder uitgevoerd onderzoek naar
de milieurisicogrenzen van minerale olie die ook geschikt bleek voor PAK’s. De
milieurisicogrenzen zijn afgeleid op basis van de berekende concentratie van
stoffen in organismen nadat zij de stoffen via het water hebben opgenomen
(voor sediment en bodem: water in sediment of bodemvocht). Deze methode is
gebaseerd op de aanname dat bepaalde effecten van alle 16 PAK’s optreden bij
dezelfde concentraties in organismen die leven in water, bodem en sediment.
Omdat de PAK’s op dezelfde manier effecten veroorzaken, mogen de
concentraties bij elkaar opgeteld worden. Hierdoor wordt inzicht verkregen in
het effect van alle PAK’s tegelijkertijd, zoals ze ook in het milieu voorkomen
(toxic unit aproach).

Verschil inwendige en externe concentraties
De inwendige effectconcentratie van PAK’s blijkt bij organismen in bodem, water
en sediment niet te verschillen. Daarentegen zijn grote verschillen tussen de
effectconcentraties van de stoffen aangetroffen als deze buiten de organismen
werden waargenomen. Vooral de effectconcentraties tussen bodem of sediment
enerzijds en water anderszijds verschilden, evenals de effectconcentraties van
de individuele PAK’s in water. De schadelijke effecten van de stoffen worden dus
in grote mate bepaald door de mate waarin een stof zich verdeeld tussen water,
bodem en sediment en wordt opgenomen vanuit water (evenwichtspartitie). Zo
bindt de bodem een stof sterk aan zich waardoor er minder in bodemvocht en
uiteindelijk in bodemorganismen terechtkomt. Metingen van concentraties van
stoffen in het milieu zouden daardoor beter gebaseerd kunnen worden op
concentraties in water.

Trefwoorden:
naftaleen, acenafteen, acenaftyleen, fluoreen, fenantreen, antraceen, pyreen,
fluoranteen, chryseen, benz[a]antraceen, benzo[k]fluoranteen,
benzo[b]fluoranteen, benzo[a]pyreen, benzo[ghi]peryleen,
dibenzo[a,h]antraceen, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyreen

Page 5 of 337
RIVM Report 607711007

Page 6 of 337
RIVM Report 607711007
Contents
Summary—9
1 Introduction—11
1.1 Project framework—11
1.2 Selection of substances—11
1.3 Reading guide to the report—12
2 Methods—13
2.1 Guidance followed for this project—13
2.2 Trigger values—14
2.3 Data collection and evaluation—16
2.4 Additional methodology and deviations from the guidance—18
3 Derivation of environmental risk limits—21
3.1 Naphthalene—21
3.2 Acenaphthylene—28
3.3 Acenaphthene—30
3.4 Fluorene—34
3.5 Phenanthrene—37
3.6 Anthracene—43
3.7 Pyrene—48
3.8 Fluoranthene—54
3.9 Chrysene—63
3.10 Benz[a]anthracene—65
3.11 Benzo[k]fluoranthene—68
3.12 Benzo[b]fluoranthene—71
3.13 Benzo[a]pyrene—72
3.14 Benzo[ghi]perylene—78
3.15 Dibenz[a,h]anthracene—80
3.16 Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene—82
4 Summary and analysis of data—85
4.1 Overview of derived risk limits—85
4.2 Environmental risk limits on the basis of internal lipid residues—91
References—103
Appendix. Detailed ecotoxicity data—127
Notes—321

Page 7 of 337
RIVM Report 607711007

Page 8 of 337
RIVM Report 607711007
Summary
In this report maximum permissible concentrations for ecosystems (MPCs ),
eco
maximum acceptable concentrations for aquatic ecosystems (MAC ), and
eco,water
serious risk concentrations for ecosystems (SRCs ) are derived for polycyclic
eco
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These environmental risk limits (ERLs) are
derived using data on ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry, and represent
the potential risk of substances to the ecosystem. They are the scientific basis
for environmental quality standards (EQSs) set by the Ministry of Infrastructure
and the Environment.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are substances that have both natural and
anthropogenic origins. They can be formed as a result of combustion, and are
constituents of many petroleum products as well. PAHs have different
physicochemical and environmental properties (e.g. log K , log K , solubility
ow oc
and BCF). The PAHs that have been considered in this report are the 16 PAHs
that were selected by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These 16
PAHs are also considered in the European Risk Assessment Report (RAR) on coal
tar pitch, high temperature (European Commission, 2008). This work forms the
basis of the derivation of the environmental risk limits as presented in this
report. Additional data that were retrieved after the completion of the RAR, were
added to this data set.
For each of the individual PAHs environemental risk limits for direct ecotoxicity
were derived for water, soil, and sediment. The methodology used for this
derivation was that of the project ‘International and national environmental
quality standards for substances in the Netherlands’ (INS). Environmental
quality standards should be protective for direct ecotoxicity, secondary poisoning
of predators such as birds and mammals, and human toxicology through indirect
exposure of humans. However, in this report only the route of direct ecotoxicity
is addressed. Thus, the derived risk limits cannot be considered directly as
proposals for environmental quality standards.

All cited ecotoxicity studies were collected and carefully evaluated for their
usefulness and reliability. Because of the volatility of especially the lower PAHs
and the adsorptive behaviour especially for the higher PAHs, only studies in
which the exposure concentrations were verified were considered reliable. An
overview of the derived risk limits for each individual PAH is given in Table 94.
Contrary to earlier reports on derivation of risk limits for PAHs a substantial
amount of terrestrial and benthic ecotoxicity data was retrieved. Therefore, the
number of risk limits for individual PAHs that is derived by equilibrium
partitioning is substantially lower. Although many more data were retrieved in
comparison with earlier risk limit derivations, and consequently lower
assessment factors were applied, the values are in general not higher than, but
comparable with the existing risk limits.

Apart from the derivation of risk limits for each PAH individually, an approach is
presented in which the risk limits are derived based on internal residues. This
method has been developed and applied for the derivation of risk limits for total
petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) before. It is assumed that toxicity of all PAHs is
similar and possibly caused by narcosis, for which the total concentration of
compounds in the cell membrane is the key parameter. This means that toxicity
of different PAHs differs only as a consequence of different accumulation
potential. However, effects are equal on molar basis expressed as residues in
the cell membranes. Further, because of similar action, the sum of the internal
Page 9 of 337