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(068) Standard and default values used in the exposure assessment of chemicals in Europe . Robinson, Nikki1,2, Grimes, Susan1, Wharfe, Jim2, 1 2 ABSTRACT- In Europe the EC Directives 67/548/EEC, 93/67/EEC and Regulations Nos. EEC 793/93 and EC 1488/94 require that environmental risk assessments be performed on all notified new chemicals and priority existing substances respectively. The EC has produced a technical guidance document (TGD, EC 1996) that outlines the procedure for this assessment. This procedure is also automated in the computer programme EUSES (European Union System for the Evaluation of Substances). The TGD and EUSES outline a generic system for the assessment of chemicals in a theoretical model environment, using average and reasonable worst case values as default values in the calculations. The strength of such a generic assessment approach is the general applicability of the results, and general acceptance across European Member States. This work examines the actual values found in England and Wales for two such default values used in the model and presents a statistical analysis and comparison of these values. The size of the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Population Equivalents (PE) is examined, along with the Dilution Factor at the point of effluent discharge from the STP. The aim of this work is to examine the general applicability of the generic environmental risk assessment performed, as defined in the TGD and EUSES, with particular reference to the conditions in England and Wales. Key words: environmental risk assessment, statistical analysis, european notification system |
