An Ecological Risk Assessment of Hexachlorobutadiene |
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Authors: | Ken W Taylor Pierre-Yves Caux Dwayne RJ Moore |
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Institution: | 1. Existing Substances Branch, Environment Canada, Place Vincent Massey, 14th Floor, 351 St. Joseph Boulevard, Gatineau, QC, Canada K1A 0H3;2. The Cadmus Group, Inc., 411 Roosevelt Avenue, Suite 204, Ottawa, ON, Canada K2A 3X9 |
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Abstract: | Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) has never been commercially produced in Canada and was imported in the past for use as a solvent. Anthropogenic activity is linked with the entry of this substance into the environment. While current Canadian sources of HCBD involve low-level releases, potentially they can be numerous. Until recently, the most significant point source of HCBD in Canada appeared to be the Cole Drain, which discharges into the St. Clair River at Sarnia, Ontario, and includes outfalls from an industrial landfill and a few industrial companies. HCBD has been detected in Canadian surface waters, sediments, aquatic organisms and, occasionally, air. Considering the properties of the substance, including its persistence and bioaccumulation characteristics, the environmental risk assessment of HCBD was focused on the aquatic environment. The results of a conservative assessment suggest that there is a risk of harmful effects for benthic organisms exposed to sediments contaminated by HCBD in the most contaminated part of the St. Clair River. |
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Keywords: | benthic organisms sediments hexachlorobutadiene HCBD environmental risk assessment |
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