PARENT SESSION
IP10 - Vapor Phase Phytotoxicity Testing
Chair: Kapustka, Lawrence¹, ¹ 5010 SW Hout Street, Corvallis, OR, USA
Co-chair: Gorsuch, Joseph², Bradlee, Christopher³, ² 1100 Ridgeway Avenue, Rochester, NY, USA³ 1609 Biddle Avenue, Wayandotte, MI
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Wednesday, 20 November 2002
Room Room 150 G

(IP75) Vapor Phase Phytotoxicity: Regulatory Implications.

Scholz, Norbert^*,1, ¹ Oxeno Olefinchemie GmbH, Marl, Germany

ABSTRACT- The lack of agreed test systems measuring airborne toxicity in plants is evident. First attempts to fill this gap have been published at SETAC Vienna 2002 (Enste-Diefenbach and Scholz, Dueck and van Dijck, Tonneijck et al.). While developing the techniques and science aspects, regulatory consequences stemming from such results have to be considered carefully. Final goal of any such test system must be seen as to predict safe environmental concentrations for a given substance. To achieve this ultimate goal, four areas of interest have to be taken into an account: 1. What substances need to be tested? 2. Which plant species must be considered? 3. Which test systems are available or need to be developed? 4. What relation does exist between indoor and out door exposure regimes and sensitivities? In general terms the prediction of safe environmental concentrations asks for assessment factors, which will compensate for uncertainties from test results. They need to be higher for the less realistic, the less worst case scenario, and lower for the more realistic and more worst case scenario. However, no such assessment factor should be finally fixed for the time being, as more experience with test results need to be gathered and their relevance scrutinized against real life scenarios.

Key words: Vapor, Phytotoxicity, Regulation