Priority Substances List Assessment Report for Phenol

Environment Canada
Health Canada
2000
ISBN: 0-662-28401-1
Cat. No.: En40-215/45E

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(568K)

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, importation and uses
    • 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
      • 2.3.1.3 Sediments
      • 2.3.1.4 Soils
      • 2.3.1.5 Biota
      • 2.3.1.6 Environmental partitioning
    • 2.3.2 Environmental concentrations
      • 2.3.2.1 Ambient air
      • 2.3.2.2 Indoor air
      • 2.3.2.3 Drinking water
      • 2.3.2.4 Surface water
        • 2.3.2.4.1 Industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents
      • 2.3.2.5 Groundwater
      • 2.3.2.6 Sediments
      • 2.3.2.7 Soils
      • 2.3.2.8 Biota
      • 2.3.2.9 Foods
      • 2.3.2.10 Consumer products
    • 2.3.3 Endogenous production
  • 2.4 Effects characterization
    • 2.4.1 Ecotoxicology
      • 2.4.1.1 Aquatic organisms
    • 2.4.2 Abiotic atmospheric effects
    • 2.4.3 Experimental mammals and in vitro
      • 2.4.3.1 Acute toxicity and irritation
      • 2.4.3.2 Short-term and subchronic toxicity
      • 2.4.3.3 Chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity
      • 2.4.3.4 Genotoxicity
      • 2.4.3.5 Reproductive and developmental toxicity
    • 2.4.4 Effects in humans
      • 2.4.4.1 Acute exposure and irritation
      • 2.4.4.2 Epidemiological studies
• 3.0 Assessment of "Toxic" under CEPA 1999
  • 3.1 CEPA 11(a): Environment
    • 3.1.1 Assessment endpoints
      • 3.1.1.1 Assessment endpoints for releases to water
      • 3.1.1.2 Assessment endpoints for releases to air
    • 3.1.2 Environmental risk characterization
      • 3.1.2.1 Aquatic organisms
        • 3.1.2.1.1 Discussion
        • 3.1.2.1.2 Summary
      • 3.1.2.2 Terrestrial organisms
        • 3.1.2.2.1 Mammals
        • 3.1.2.2.2 Terrestrial vegetation
  • 3.2 CEPA 11(b): Environ ment upon which life depends
  • 3.3 CEPA 11(c): Human health
    • 3.3.1 Estimated population exposure
    • 3.3.2 Hazard characterization
    • 3.3.3. Dose-response analysis
    • 3.3.4 Human health risk characterization
    • 3.3.5 Uncertainties and degree of confidence in 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 Physical and chemical properties of phenol
• Table 2 1996 releases of phenol/total phenolics by industry sector
• Table 3 Range of highest concentrations per source in Canada
• Table 4 Hyperconservative assessment: environmental risk to rainbow trout
• Table 5 Conservative assessment: environmental risk to rainbow trout
• Table 6 Estimated daily intake of phenol via environmental media for the general population in Canada
• Table 7 Worst-case estimates of daily intake of phenol from inhalation of air by populations in the vicinity of point sources in Canada
• Table 8 Estimated daily intake of phenol from use of selected consumer products

List of Figures

• Figure 1 Chemical structure of phenol
• Figure 2 Comparison of phenol concentration-response distributions for 27-day exposure to embryo-larval stage of rainbow trout and 9-day exposure to embryo-larval stage of leopard frog
• Figure 3 Probabilistic risk analysis: exposure distribution for two refineries using 1995-96 monthly average concentrations of phenol (EEVs) and effect distribution for 27-day lethality to embryo-larval stage of rainbow trout
• Figure 4 Probabilistic risk analysis: risk distribution for chronic toxicity to the embryo-larval stage of rainbow trout for two refineries in 1995-96
• Figure 5 Probabilistic risk analysis: risk distribution for chronic toxicity to the embryo-larval stage of rainbow trout for four pulp, paper and wood products mills in 1996
• Figure 6 Probabilistic risk analysis: risk distribution for chronic toxicity to the embryo-larval stage of rainbow trout for two steel and metal products mills in 1995-1997
• Figure 7 Probabilistic risk analysis: aquatic community risk model results for acute and chronic toxicity compared with the range of EEVs for two petroleum refineries in 1995-96
• Figure 8 Probabilistic risk analysis: risk distribution for chronic toxicity at the community level of organization for two petroleum refineries in 1995-96