Ecological risk assessment of existing substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA): A revised framework

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:230912

Boersma, D ^[1]

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1. Environment Canada, Hull, Quebec (Canada)

Substance assessments conducted to date in the Priority Substances Assessment Program, involved three components: (1) quantifying entry into the environment, (2) estimating exposure to biota in the environment, and (3) estimating effects occurring in the environment. These three components were referred to as the ``3 Es`` of CEPA ``toxic``. After completion of assessments on the first Priority Substances List, it was decided to update the framework to capture the experience gained and to include recent scientific advances in the field. The revised approach includes a more explicit ``Problem Formulation`` phase, or scoping exercise, followed by the ``Analysis`` phase which includes characterization of entry, exposure and effects (the ``3 Es``) and a ``Risk Characterization`` phase that estimates the risks of the stressor to the environment. This presentation will discuss each phase of the revised framework and characterize the approaches that will be used in assessments of future priority substances. Issues addressed in this session of six presentations on ecological risk assessment of priority substances under CEPA include endpoint selection, use of uncertainty analysis, estimating wildlife exposure alternatives to LOELs and NOELs in characterizing effects data, estimating indirect effects to the environment, and assessments of effects of complex mixtures and effluents.

• OSTI ID: 230912
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
CANADA
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
COMPLIANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
RISK ASSESSMENT
TOXIC MATERIALS
TOXICITY
WILD ANIMALS