Use of biodegradation data in chemical assessment

Shimp, Robert J.; Larson, Robert J.; Boethling, Robert S.

doi:10.1002/etc.5620091106

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…For illustrative purposes, each is assumed to be immobile in soil and to be emitted at the same constant rate for 100 d, at which point, emissions cease. It is evident that substances with short half‐lives show only modest accumulation and are quickly eliminated when emissions stop (Shimp et al 1990). In contrast, substances that do not degrade or degrade very slowly remain available to potentially exert toxic effects, bioaccumulate, and be transported to regions far from where they are manufactured or used.…”

Section: Half‐lives and Their Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental Persistence of Organic Pollutants: Guidance for Development and Review of POP Risk Profiles

Boethling

Fenner

Howard³

et al. 2009

Integr Envir Assess & Manag

114

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Environmental persistence is an important property that can enhance the potential of a chemical substance to exert adverse effects and be transported to remote environments. The persistence of organic compounds is governed by the rates at which they are removed by biological and chemical processes, such as biodegradation, hydrolysis, atmospheric oxidation, and photolysis. The persistence workgroup in a recent Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Pellston workshop (Pensacola, FL, USA, January 2008) focused on evaluating persistence of organic compounds in environmental media (air, water, soil, sediment) in terms of their single-medium degradation half-lives. The primary aim was to provide guidance to authors and reviewers of chemical dossiers for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances (PBTs) proposed for action. A second objective was to provide a summary of the current state of the science with respect to POP fate assessment. Assessing the persistence of chemical substances in the environment is not straightforward. A common misconception is that, like many chemical properties, environmental persistence is an inherent property of the substance and can be readily measured. In fact, rates of degradation of a substance in the environment are determined by a combination of substance-specific properties and environmental conditions. This article addresses how persistence can be evaluated based on an assortment of supporting information. Special attention is given to several critical issues, including transformation products, nonextractable residues, and treatment of uncertainty and conflicting data as part of a weight-of-evidence assessment.

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Section: Half‐lives and Their Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

“… Mass accumulation and loss in soil of 4 hypothetical substances with different half‐lives. All 4 substances are assumed to be emitted at 10 kg/d for 100 d; at which point, emission stops (Shimp et al 1990). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Persistence of Organic Pollutants: Guidance for Development and Review of POP Risk Profiles

Boethling

Fenner

Howard³

et al. 2009

Integr Envir Assess & Manag

114

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Chemical fate and transport in a domestic septic system: Biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)

Shimp

Lapsins

Ventullo

1994

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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The biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) was assessed in an established septic tank system and an adjoining shallow sand aquifer (located near Cambridge, Ontario). Studies were conducted on soil, aquifer sediment, and groundwater samples from a transect of the septic tank effluent plume. LAS and NTA were readily biodegraded in the vicinity of the discharge, with mineralization half‐lives in soil and sediment samples collected near the tile field ranging from 9 to 17 d and 1 to 3 d, respectively. Similar results were obtained for ground water. Adaptation was a key process in the system, as illustrated by the rapid biodegradation near the tile field and limited biodegradation at locations far downgradient or ungradient of the system, where little or no LAS or NTA loading occurred. The results demonstrate that properly functioning septic tank systems can effectively remove synthetic organic chemicals such as LAS and NTA.

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Quantitative application of biodegradation data to environmental risk and exposure assessments

Larson

Cowan

1995

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Biodegradation is an important removal mechanism for natural and synthetic organic chemicals released to aquatic, benthic, and terrestrial ecosystems. It results in a decrease in the overall mass or load of chemicals present in the environment and is key in preventing the accumulation and persistence of chemicals in specific environmental compartments. Although biodegradation is an important process for minimizing potential adverse impacts on environmental systems, it has not been traditionally considered in a quantitative fashion in environmental risk assessments. This article outlines an approach and provides simple kinetic criteria for incorporating biodegradation rate data into environmental exposure and risk assessments. The approach is a generic one that relates biodegradation half‐lives to chemical residence times in specific environmental compartments. It is broadly applicable to any organic chemical in a range of environmental compartments and has potential use as a technical and regulatory tool to better quantify environmental exposure and risk.

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Use of biodegradation data in chemical assessment

Cited by 10 publications

References 18 publications

Environmental Persistence of Organic Pollutants: Guidance for Development and Review of POP Risk Profiles

Environmental Persistence of Organic Pollutants: Guidance for Development and Review of POP Risk Profiles

Chemical fate and transport in a domestic septic system: Biodegradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)

Quantitative application of biodegradation data to environmental risk and exposure assessments

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