You are here:
NORTH AMERICA'S SOUND MANAGEMENT OF CHEMICALS INITIATIVE: APPLICATION OF SELECTION CRITERIA TO DIOXINS/FURANS, HEXACHLOROBENZENE, AND HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANES
Citation:
Vallero, D A. AND G J. Foley. NORTH AMERICA'S SOUND MANAGEMENT OF CHEMICALS INITIATIVE: APPLICATION OF SELECTION CRITERIA TO DIOXINS/FURANS, HEXACHLOROBENZENE, AND HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANES. Presented at North America's Sound Management of Chemicals Initiative: Application of Selection Criteria to Dioxins/Furans, Hexachlorobenzene, and Hexachlorocyclohexanes, Workshop on Persistent Organic Pollutants and Heavy Metals, Research Triangle Park, NC, October 5-7, 1999.
Impact/Purpose:
1) Develop methods of ecological exposure (e.g. rapid , sensitive analytical screening methods for a select list of antibiotics widely used in agriculture primarily in CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations).
2) Do Measurements & Provide data for multicompartment models of fate and transport.
3) Study biomagnification of specific chemicals and toxic metals.
4) Study specific pharmaceuticals:
*Determine the routes of entry and the impact of environmental factors such as rainfall on the movement and survivorability of selected antimicrobials in the environment.
*Determine if the entry of agriculture based antibiotics into the environment contributes to resistance in bacterial populations.
*Determine the contribution from municipal waste water treatment plants to antibiotic loading in the environment.
5) Develop methods for the analysis of alkylphenol ethoxylates and derivatives.
Description:
In October 1997, the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation finalized its process for identifying candidate substances for regional action under the Sound Management of Chemicals Initiative. Regional action plans will be prepared if substantive risk to human health or the environment in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. is understood and shared among the three parties, and that actions would lead to benefits in all three countries. The selection criteria are based upon a substance's persistence, bioaccumulation (including both bioavailability and bioconcentration), and toxicity. The three-stage process consists of nomination of a substance, evaluation (screening and mutual concern), and discussion/decisions on whether to prepare an action plan. The process has recently been successfully applied to dioxins/furans and hexachlorobenzene, and is presently be applied to hexachlorocyclohexanes, especially the gamma isomer, lindane. The lessons learned by scientists and decision-makers from these selections will be discussed.
This work has been funded wholly by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. It has been subjected to Agency review and approved for publication.