Priority Substances List Assessment Report for Respirable Particulate Matter

Environment Canada
Health Canada
2000
ISBN: 0-662-28531-X
Cat. No.: En40-215/47E

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(693K)

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 Identity
    • 2.1.2 Physical/chemical properties
      • 2.1.2.1 Particle size
      • 2.1.2.2 Chemical composition
      • 2.1.2.3 Other properties
  • 2.2 Sources of particulate matter
  • 2.3 Exposure characterization
    • 2.3.1 Monitoring technology
    • 2.3.2 Ambient levels of particulate matter
      • 2.3.2.1 Background concentrations
      • 2.3.2.2 Rural and urban concentrations
        • 2.3.2.2.1 Twenty-four-hour average PM₁₀ levels
        • 2.3.2.2.2 Twenty-four-hour average PM_2.5 levels
        • 2.3.2.2.3 One-hour average PM₁₀ levels
      • 2.3.2.3 Relationships among TSP, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 and inorganic constituents of particulate matter
    • 2.3.3 Indoor and personal air
      • 2.3.3.1 Indoor air
      • 2.3.3.2 Personal air
  • 2.4 Effects characterization
    • 2.4.1 Humans
      • 2.4.1.1 Controlled human exposure studies
      • 2.4.1.2 Epidemiological studies
        • 2.4.1.2.1 Acute effects: mortality
        • 2.4.1.2.2 Acute effects: hospitalizations and emergency department visits
        • 2.4.1.2.3 Acute effects: respiratory health (lung function, symptoms, restricted activity and days absent from work or school)
        • 2.4.1.2.4 Long-term and chronic effects
    • 2.4.2 Experimental animals and in vitro
      • 2.4.2.1 Acute and short-term exposure
      • 2.4.2.2 Subchronic and chronic exposure
  • 2.5 Toxicokinetics
• 3.0 Assessment of "Toxic" under CEPA 1999
  • 3.1 CEPA 1999 64(c): Human health
    • 3.1.1 Exposure
    • 3.1.2 Effects
      • 3.1.2.1 Consistency
      • 3.1.2.2 Strength of association
      • 3.1.2.3 Dose-response relationship
      • 3.1.2.4 Coherence
      • 3.1.2.5 Temporal relationship
      • 3.1.2.6 Specificity
      • 3.1.2.7 Biological plausibility
    • 3.1.3 Human health risk characterization
    • 3.1.4 Uncertainties and degree of confidence in the human health risk characterization
  • 3.2 Conclusion
  • 3.3 Considerations for follow-up (further action)
• 4.0 References

List of Tables

• Table 1 Sources of particulate matter
• Table 2 The 1995 Criteria Air Contaminants emission inventory for Canada (tonnes)
• Table 3 Provincial/territorial distribution of particulate matter and precursor emissions (tonnes), 1995
• Table 4 Average, median and standard deviation of the 24-hour PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and sulphate measurements sorted by trajectory group
• Table 5 Frequency distributions of 24-hour average PM₁₀ concentrations (µg/m³) from dichotomous sampler sites (1984-1995) and SSI sites (1988-1994) - national network
• Table 6 Frequency distributions of 24-hour average PM_2.5 concentrations (µg/m³) from dichotomous sampler sites (1984-1995) - national network
• Table 7 Combined summary statistics for 14 urban NAPS sites in operation between 1986 and 1994
• Table 8 Summary of relative risks for particulate matter from time-series studies: Total mortality
• Table 9 Summary of results of time-series studies of hospital admissions and emergency department visits in relation to particulate matter
• Table 10 Summary of adverse health effects associated with particulate matter (epidemiological studies)

List of Figures

• Figure 1 Generalized chemical composition of particulate matter
• Figure 2 Distributions of the ratio of PM_2.5 to PM₁₀ mass at the NAPS dichotomous sampler sites
• Figure 3 Comparison of the distributions of TSP, PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and sulphate at 11 urban sites (1984-1993)