Environment Canada has included hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) in the list of Track 1 substances - toxic substances that are persistent, bioaccumulative and anthropogenic. Virtual elimination from the environment of the Track 1 substances is the main objective of the Toxic Substance Management Policy.

The LoQ prescribed in this report will be the benchmark for achieving the objective of virtual elimination from releases to soil.

LoQ is defined as the lowest concentration of target compounds that can be quantified confidently. It is determined by assessing the variability (standard deviation) of replicate measurements of analytes at a concentration near the detection limit.

Three typical soils with unique physical and chemical properties were selected for the study. Each soil was fortified with known quantities of PCDD/PCDF and HCB. A 5-g sample was used for each of the 10 replicate analyses. The concentration of HCB and PCDD/PCDF in each sample represents a level between 5 and 10 times the detection limit. Analytical results suggest that the estimated LoQ for releases to soil for HCB and PCDD/PCDF in soils is 2 ng/g (or 10 ng/sample) and 9 pg/g (or 45 pg/sample) respectively.

Contact: RiskManagementPrograms@ec.gc.ca