Priority Substances List Assessment Report for Nonylphenol and its Ethoxylates

Environment Canada
Health Canada
2001
ISBN: 0-662-29248-0
Cat. No.: En40-215/57E

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(972K)

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
    • 2.1.1 Nonmemclature
    • 2.1.2 Physical and chemical properties
  • 2.2 Entry characterization
    • 2.2.1 Uses, production and market trends in Canada
    • 2.2.2 Sources and releases
      • 2.2.2.1 Natural sources
      • 2.2.2.2 Anthropogenic sources
  • 2.3 Exposure characterization
    • 2.3.1 Environmental fate
      • 2.3.1.1 Air
      • 2.3.1.2 Water
        • 2.3.1.2.1 Degradation in water in laboratory tests
        • 2.3.1.2.2 Degradation in municipal wastewater treatment plants
        • 2.3.1.2.3 Degradation in water and sediment
      • 2.3.1.3 Soil
    • 2.3.2 Environmental distribution
    • 2.3.3 Environmental concentrations
      • 2.3.3.1 Air
      • 2.3.3.2 Water and effluents
      • 2.3.3.3. Sediments
      • 2.3.3.4 Sludges
      • 2.3.3.5 Soil
      • 2.3.3.6 Biota
      • 2.3.3.7 Drinking water
      • 2.3.3.8 Food
      • 2.3.3.9 Consumer products
    • 2.3.4 Levels in human tissues and fluids
  • 2.4 Effects characterization
    • 2.4.1 Ecotoxicology
      • 2.4.1.1 Toxicity via atmospheric exposure
      • 2.4.1.2 Toxicity via aquatic exposure
        • 2.4.1.2.1 Nonylphenol
        • 2.4.1.2.2 Nonylphenol ethoxylate, diethoxylate and polyethoxylates
        • 2.4.1.2.3 Nonylphenoxyacetic acid and nonylphenoxyethoxyacetic acid
      • 2.4.1.3 Toxicity to terrestrial plants and animals
      • 2.4.1.4 Effects of alkylphenols and alkylphenol polyethoxylates on endocrine function
    • 2.4.2 Bioaccumulation in the environment
    • 2.4.3 Effects in experimental mammals and humans
      • 2.4.3.1 Effects in laboratory animals and in vitro
        • 2.4.3.1.1 Nonylphenol
        • 2.4.3.1.2 Nonylphenol-4-polyethoxylate
        • 2.4.3.1.3 Nonylphenol-9-polyethoxylate
        • 2.4.3. 1.4 Other nonylphenol polyethoxylates
      • 2.4.3.2 Effects in humans
        • 2.4.3.2.1 Nonylphenol
        • 2.4.3.2.2 Nonylphenol-4-polyethoxylate
        • 2.4.3.2.3 Nonylphenol-9-polyethoxylate
        • 2.4.3.2.4 Other nonylphenol polyethoxylates
    • 2.4.4 Abiotic atmospheric effects
• 3.0 Assessment of "Toxic" under CEPA 1999
  • 3.1 CEPA 1999 64(a): Environment
    • 3.1.1 Assessment endpoints
      • 3.1.1.1 Aquatic
      • 3.1.1.2 Terrestrial
      • 3.1.1.3 Atmospheric
    • 3.1.2 Environmental risk characterization
      • 3.1.2.1 Overview of approach for determination of risk quotients
      • 3.1.2.2 Additivity of effects
      • 3.1.2.3 Aquatic environment
        • 3.1.2.3.1 Risk characterization for nonylphenol (NP)
        • 3.1.2.3.2 Risk characterization for nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NP1EO, NP2EO)
        • 3.1.2.3.3 Risk characterization for nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NP3-17EO)
        • 3.1.2.3.4 Risk characterization for nonylphenol polyethoxycarboxylates (NP1EC, NP2EC)
        • 3.1.2.3.5 Risk characterization for the combined effects of nonylphenol ethoxylates
        • 3.1.2.3.6 Endocrine disruption in aquatic biota
      • 3.1.2.4 Risk characterization for sediment
      • 3.1.2.5 Risk characterization for the terrestrial environment
      • 3.1.2.6 Summary of risk by specific sector
        • 3.1.2.6.1 Textile mill effluents
        • 3.1.2.6.2 Pulp and paper mill effluents
        • 3.1.2.6.3 Municipal treatment plant effluents
      • 3.1.2.7 Summary of risk characterization
      • 3.1.2.8 Uncertainties in the environmental risk characterization
  • 3.2 Environment upon which life depends
  • 3.3 CEPA 1999 64(c): Human health
    • 3.3.1 Estimates of potential exposure to nonylphenol and its ethoxylates
    • 3.3.2 Human health risk characterization
    • 3.3.3. Uncertainties and degree of confidence in the human health risk characterization
  • 3.4 Conclusions
  • 3.5 Considerations for follow-up (further action)
• 4.0 References
• Appendix A Search Strategies Employed for Identification of Relevant Data

List of Tables

• Table 1 Properties of NP, NP4EO and NP9EO
• Table 2 Amount of NP and its ethoxylates produced, imported, exported and available for use in Canada in 1995 and 1996
• Table 3 Concentrations of NP and its ethoxylates in consumer products
• Table 4 Releases of NP and its ethoxylates to various environmental media, by industry sector in Canada in 1996
• Table 5 Ranges of concentrations of NPEs in the Canadian environment
  (total number of sites, total number of samples)
• Table 6 Summary of relative toxicity and relative estrogenicity based on endocrine disrupting effects
• Table 7 Bioaccumulation of NP and NPEs in aquatic organisms
• Table 8 Most sensitive organisms in each trophic level for NP
• Table 9 Summary of the selected endpoints
• Table 10 Number of Canadian effluent sites where risk quotients exceeded one for NPEs, using a hyperconservative assessment (total n umber of sites, total number of samples)
• Table 11 Number of Canadian effluent and freshwater sites where risk quotients for NPEs exceeded one using a conservative assessment (total number of sites, total number of samples)
• Table 12 Number of Canadian effluent and freshwater sites where risk quotients for NPEs exceeded one using a distributional assessment (number of exceedances/total number of sites)
• Table 13 Most sensitive aquatic organisms for NPEs and NPECs
• Table 14 Reasonable worst-case/bounding estimates of intake of NP and NPEs by adult Canadians

List of Figures

• Figure 1 Chemical structures for NP, NPE, NP1EC and NP2EC
• Figure 2 Biological degradation pathway for NPEs
• Figure 3 Concentration of NP, lower-chain NPEs and NPECs in various types of municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents (Windsor = primary treatment; Burlington = secondary treatment; Galt, Guelph and Edmonton = tertiary treatment)
• Figure 4 Distribution of NP, NPEs and lower-chain NPECs in effluent and sludge from a tertiary-treated municipal wastewater treatment plant
• Figure 5 Acute toxicity of NP and NP9EO to various fish species
• Figure 6 Relative toxicity of NP, NPEs and NPECs in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas, 96-hour LC₅₀), killifish (Oryzias latipes, 48-hour LC₅₀), mysid shrimp (Mysidopsis bahia, 96-hour LC₅₀), Daphnia magna (48-hour LC₅₀) and Ceriodaphnia dubia (7-day LC₅₀)
• Figure 7 Concentrations of alkylphenols relative to chloride concentrations in the Grand River
• Figure 8 Assessment endpoints for NP
• Figure 9 Environmental concentrations of NP in pulp mill, municipal wastewater treatment plant and textile mill effluents based on site averages and a dilution of 10:1 53
• Figure 10 Estimated environmental concentrations of NP, NP1EO+NP2EO, NP1EC+NP2EC and NP9EO near municipal wastewater treatment plants (primary, secondary and tertiary)
• Figure 11 Estimated environmental concentrations of NP and NP1EO+NP2EO near pulp mills prior to 1998
• Figure 12 Estimated environmental concentrations of NP, NP1EO+NP2EO, NP1EC+NP2EC and NP9EO near pulp mills after 1998
• Figure 13 Estimated Toxic Equivalency Quotient (TEQ) of NPEs near municipal wastewater treatment plants
• Figure 14 Estimated Estrogenic Equivalency (EEV_TEQ ) of NPEs near municipal wastewater treatment plants
• Figure 15 Potential pathways of exposure to NP/NPEs for the general population