Priority Substances List Assessment Report for Inorganic Chloramines

Environment Canada
Health Canada
2001
ISBN: 0-662-29361-4
Cat. No.: En 40-215/44E

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(1,258K)

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
  • 2.1 Identity, properties, uses, formation and analytical methods
    • 2.1.1 Identity and uses
    • 2.1.2 Chemistry of chloramine formation
    • 2.1.3 Analytical methods
  • 2.2 Entry characterization
    • 2.2.1 Municipal potable water
    • 2.2.2 Municipal wastewater
    • 2.2.3 Industrial effluents and cooling waters
      • 2.2.3.1 Cooling waters
      • 2.2.3.2 Zebra mussel control
      • 2.2.3.3 Industrial wastewater
    • 2.2.4 Summary
  • 2.3 Exposure characterization
    • 2.3.1 Environmental fate
      • 2.3.1.1 Air
      • 2.3.1.2 Water
      • 2.3.1.3 Sediments
      • 2.3.1.4 Soils
      • 2.3.1.5 Biota
    • 2.3.2 Environmental concentrations
      • 2.3.2.1 Effluent releases
      • 2.3.2.2 Drinking water releases
  • 2.4 Effects characterization
    • 2.4.1 Ecotoxicology
      • 2.4.1.1 Mode of action
      • 2.4.1.2 Terrestrial organisms
      • 2.4.1.3 Aquatic organisms
        • 2.4.1.3.1 Freshwater and marine algae and plankton
        • 2.4.1.3.2 Freshwater invertebrates
        • 2.4.1.3.3 Marine invertebrates
        • 2.4.1.3.4 Freshwater fishes
        • 2.4.1.3.5 Marine/estuarine fishes
    • 2.4.2 Abiotic atmospheric effects
• 3.0 Assessment of "TOXIC" under CEPA
  • 3.1 CEPA 1999 64(a): Environment
    • 3.1.1 Assessment endpoints
      • 3.1.1.1 Releases to soils
      • 3.1.1.2 Releases to water
    • 3.1.2 Environmental risk characterization
      • 3.1.2.1 Soil organisms
      • 3.1.2.2 Aquatic organisms
        • 3.1.2.2.1 Hyperconservative risk assessment
        • 3.1.2.2.2 Conservative risk assessment
        • 3.1.2.2.3 Probabilistic assessment of chloramine exposure from effluents and cooling water
      • 3.1.2.3 Uncertainty
    • 3.2 CEPA 1999 64(b): Environment upon which life depends
    • 3.3 Conclusions
  • 3.4 Considerations for follow-up (further action)
• 4.0 References
• Appendix A Search Strategies Employed for Identification of Relevant Data

List of Tables

• Table 1 Chemical description of combined and free chlorine congeners
• Table 2 Physical and chemical properties of combined and f ree chlorine congeners
• Table 3 Estimated chloramine and TRC loading to the Canadian environment from all sources in 1996
• Table 4 Chloramine speciation at three municipal WWTPs in British Columbia
• Table 5 Calculation of no-effects factors used in conservative assessments
• Table 6 Matrix of different discharge situations
• Table 7 Summary of conservative assessment EECs and quotients for effluents and cooling water discharges to rivers and marine environments
• Table 8 Summary of conservative assessment EECs and quotients for effluents to Lake Ontario
• Table 9 Summary of approximate drinking water discharges (m3/s) that may result in impacts to large surface waters
• Table 10 Characterization of main breaks and release of chloraminated potable water to Fergus Creek, British Columbia
• Table 11 Input distributions and point estimates used in case studies for probabilistic risk assessment
• Table 12 Months identified for probabilistic assessment for each case study based on receptor life history and water body hydrology

List of Figures

• Figure 1 Summary of ammonia/chlorine reactions
• Figure 2 Principal chemical pathways for the reaction, degradation and fate of free chlorine in aquatic environments
• Figure 3 Graphic representation of the ideal breakpoint phenomenon for the chlorination of ammonia at pH 6 and 8
• Figure 4 Chloramine and TRC loading from chlorinated cooling water and municipal and industrial effluent
• Figure 5 LT₅₀ curve fitted to data for the effects of inorganic chloramines on Ceriodaphnia dubia
• Figure 6 LT₂₀ curve fitted to data for the effects of inorganic chloramines on Ceriodaphnia dubia
• Figure 7 LT₂₀ and LT₅₀ curves fitted to data for the effects of inorganic chloramines on juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
• Figure 8 Spatial distribution of risk for Ceriodaphnia dubia (Cd) and
  Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Ot) exposed to inorganic chloramines
  discharged by the North Toronto WWTP to the Don River:
  • Figure (a) and Figure (b) January - Cd;
  • Figure (c) and Figure (d) August - Cd;
  • Figure (e) and Figure (f) January - Ot; and
  • Figure (g) and Figure (h) August - Ot
• Figure 9 Spatial distribution of risk for Ceriodaphnia dubia (Cd) and
  Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Ot) exposed to inorganic chloramines
  discharged by Ashbridges Bay WWTP to Ashbridges Bay, Lake Ontario:
  • Figure (a) and Figure (b) January - Cd;
  • Figure (c) and Figure (d) January - Ot
• Figure 10 Spatial distribution of risk for Ceriodaphnia dubia (Cd) and
  Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Ot) exposed to inorganic chloramines discharged by Clover Bar Generating Station to the North Saskatchewan River:
  • Figure (a) and Figure (b) August - Cd;
  • Figure (c), Figure (d), Figure (e) and Figure (f) August - Ot