Priority Substances List Assessment Report for Ammonia in the Aquatic Environment

Environment Canada
Health Canada
2001
ISBN: 0-662-29192-1
Cat. No.: En 40-215/55E

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(1,343K)

Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999

Table of Contents

• List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Synopsis
• 1.0 Introduction
• 2.0 Summary of Information Critical to Assessment of "Toxic" under CEPA 1999
  • 2.1 Identity and physical/chemical properties
  • 2.2 Entry characterization
    • 2.2.1 Production and use
    • 2.2.2 Sources and releases
      • 2.2.2.1 Natural sources
      • 2.2.2.2 Anthropogenic sources
        • 2.2.2.2.1 Industrial
        • 2.2.2.2.2 Municipal
        • 2.2.2.2.3 Combined sewer overflows
        • 2.2.2.2.4 Agricultural
  • 2.3 Exposure characterization
    • 2.3.1 Environmental fate
      • 2.3.1.1 Air
      • 2.3.1.2 Surface water
      • 2.3.1.3 Soil and groundwater
    • 2.3.2 Environmental concentrations
      • 2.3.2.1 Air
      • 2.3.2.2 Atmospheric deposition
        • 2.3.2.2.1 Case study: The Lower Fraser Valley
      • 2.3.2.3 Surface water
      • 2.3.2.4 Soil runoff
      • 2.3.2.5 Soil
      • 2.3.2.6 Groundwater
  • 2.4 Effects characterization
    • 2.4.1 Effects on terrestrial plants
    • 2.4.2 Acute effects on freshwater organisms
      • 2.4.2.1 Algae
      • 2.4.2.2 Fish
      • 2.4.2.3 Invertebrates
    • 2.4.3 Sublethal effects on freshwater organisms
    • 2.4.4 Acute and sublethal effects on saltwater organisms
      • 2.4.4.1 Acute toxicity 32 2.4.4.2 Sublethal toxicity
    • 2.4.5 Ecosystem effects
      • 2.4.5.1 Freshwater eutrophication
      • 2.4.5.2 Coastal marine eutrophication
      • 2.4.5.3 Terrestrial eutrophication
      • 2.4.5.4 Acidification
    • 2.4.6 Abiotic effects mediated through the atmosphere
  • 2.5 Toxicokinetics, mode of action and metabolism
    • 2.5.1 Freshwater fish
    • 2.5.2 Marine fish
    • 2.5.3 Accumulation in aquatic organisms
    • 2.5.4 Factors affecting the aquatic toxicity of ammonia
      • 2.5.4.1 pH
      • 2.5.4.2 Temperature
      • 2.5.4.3 Dissolved oxygen concentration
• 3.0 Assessment of "TOXIC" under CEPA 1999
  • 3.1 CEPA 1999 64(a): Environment
    • 3.1.1 Assessment endpoints
    • 3.1.2 Environmental risk characterization
      • 3.1.2.1 Hyperconservative assessments
      • 3.1.2.2 Conservative assessments
        • 3.1.2.2.1 Releases to air
        • 3.1.2.2.2 Releases to water
        • 3.1.2.2.3 Other lines of evidence
      • 3.1.2.3 Probabilistic risk assessment
        • 3.1.2.3.1 Hamilton Harbour
        • 3.1.2.3.2 North Saskatchewan River
        • 3.1.2.3.3 Red River
      • 3.1.2.4 Discussion of uncertainty 68
      • 3.1.2.5 Interpretation of ecological significance
  • 3.2 CEPA 1999 64(b): Environment upon which life depends
  • 3.3 Conclusions 76 3.4 Considerations for follow-up (further action)
• 4.0 References

Appendices

• Appendix A - 1995 Ammonia Emissions Inventory for Air Fromvarious Sources
• Appendix B - Provincial Breakdown of Releases of Ammoniafrom Industrial Sources (Npri 1996)
• Appendix C - Top 12 Urban Centres for Ammonia Loading Rate(Tonnes/Year) In 1995 Or 1996
• Appendix D - Development of Exposure CDFS for Thenorth Saskatchewan River
• Appendix E - Development of Exposure CDFS for The Red River
• Appendix F - Search Strategies Employed for Identification Ofrelevant Data

List of Tables

• Table 1 - Physical and chemical properties of ammonia
• Table 2 - Percentage of total ammonia present as NH₃ in aqueous ammonia solutions
• Table 3 - Atmospheric ammonia and ammonium aerosol concentrations at various locations
• Table 4 - Mean LC₅₀s for un-ionized ammonia in Canadian fish species
• Table 5 - Mean LC₅₀s for un-ionized ammonia in invertebrate species
• Table 6 - Summary of mean sublethal endpoints in freshwater species
• Table 7 - Ranked mean acute toxicity values for un-ionized ammonia
• Table 8 - Ammonia connections to other air issues
• Table 9 - Summary of hyperconservative assessments
• Table 10 - Summary of conservative assessment of modelled sewage treatment systems
• Table 11 - Summary of conservative assessments for agricultural runoff situations
• Table 12 - Probability of species affected 1-20 km downstream of the wastewater treatment plant on the North Saskatchewan River in August
• Table 13 - Probabilities of impacts at four sites around Winnipeg

List of Figures

• Figure 1 - The nitrogen cycle
• Figure 2 - Fate analysis of ammonia in the atmosphere
• Figure 3 - Fate analysis of ammonia in aquatic environments
• Figure 4 - Dispersion of NH₃ downwind of a feedlot
• Figure 5 - Ammonia air emissions inventory for the Lower Fraser Valley, 1996-1997
• Figure 6 - Modelled total nitrogen deposition (kg/ha per year) for the Lower Fraser Valley
• Figure 7 - Un-ionized ammonia concentrations upstream and downstream of Edmonton
• Figure 8 - Acute ACRM for Canadian freshwater species
• Figure 9 - Chronic ACRM for Canadian species listed in Table 6
• Figure 10 - Discharge of Toronto municipal effluent into Lake Ontario, September 1998
• Figure 11 - North Saskatchewan River in the vicinity of Edmonton
• Figure 12 - Hamilton Harbour 58
• Figure 13 - Seasonal fluctuations in ammonia at the central station in Hamilton Harbour
• Figure 14 - Total and un-ionized ammonia concentrations at the central station in Hamilton Harbour, 1-m depth
• Figure 15 - Un-ionized ammonia concentrations in Windermere Arm, Hamilton Harbour
• Figure 16 - Risk curve for un-ionized ammonia at the central station in Hamilton Harbour
• Figure 17 - Cumulative density function of NH₃ concentrations for August at 1 km along the centre of the plume in the North Saskatchewan River
• Figures 18-23 Risk curves for 1-20 km downstream of the wastewater treatment plant on the North Saskatchewan River
• Figure 24 - Probability of impacts in the North Saskatchewan River
• Figure 25 - Winnipeg sewage treatment plants and sample sites
• Figure 26 - Red River monthly mean flows and total ammonia concentrations
• Figure 27 - Un-ionized ammonia concentrations in the Red River at Lockport Dam, north of Winnipeg
• Figures 28-31 - Risk curves for Fort Garry, Red River
• Figures 32-35 - Risk curves for Perimeter Bridge, Red River
• Figures 36-39 - Risk curves for Lockport Dam, Red River
• Figures 40-43 - Risk curves at Main Street Bridge, Assiniboine River
• Figure 44 - Cumulative density function for Red River at Fort Garry Bridge, August