Octamethyltrisiloxane

Endpoint summary

Additional information

Collection and analysis (for L3) of surface sediments and select biota from the aquatic food web was carried out as part of a 5-year monitoring programme for cyclic volatile methysiloxane (cVMS) materials in the aquatic ecosystem. The data in Tables 4.2.3 and 4.2.4 are a summary of environmental monitoring data on L3, including studies from the first three years of this programme in two locations: Lake Ontario, Canada, and Lake Pepin, USA, the first two years of the programme in Oslo Fjord, Norway, and from year one of the programme in Tokyo Bay.

L3 is present as an impurity and widely used in commercial products (e.g., personal care products). The main route of entry into the aquatic environment is via wastewater treatment plant effluents. Analytical measurement of trace levels of L3 in environmental samples is difficult due to its physical properties and uses, which can inadvertently lead to significant sample contamination. L3 is used in personal care products. Environmental samples can become compromised during all stages of field and laboratory work including sample collection, processing, extraction, and analysis. The environmental monitoring programmes reported here incorporate the use of rigorous protocols strictly prohibiting the use of personal care products by all field and laboratory personnel involved, as well as avoiding equipment containing silicone-based materials. This has led to lower analytical backgrounds, reduced potential for contamination, and thus greater confidence in the environmental monitoring results.

Table4.2.3Measured concentrations of L3 in sediment

Location – Sediment	Sampling year	N (number of sample locations)	L3^1 (ng/g dw)	Comment	Reference
Canada, Lake Ontario	2011	5	Not detected	Sediment collected from locations within Hamilton Harbour (which receives WWTP effluent) and the main deep-water basin. No detectable concentrations of L3 were found (LOD 8.0 ng, MDL 0.42 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013b)
Canada, Lake Ontario	2012	5	Not detected	Sediment collected from locations within Hamilton Harbour (which receives WWTP effluent) and the main deep-water basin. No quantifiable concentrations of L3 were found (LOD 5.7 ng, MDL 0.83 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2014)
Canada, Lake Ontario	2013	5	Not detected	Sediment collected from locations within Hamilton Harbour (which receives WWTP effluent) and the main deep-water basin. No quantifiable concentrations of L3 were found (LOD 2.3 ng, MDL 0.35 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015a)
USA, Lake Pepin,	2011	12	<MDL	Measured concentrations of L3 in surface sediment were below the MDL in all samples (LOD 8.0 ng, MDL 0.42 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013a)
USA, Lake Pepin,	2012	13	Not detected	No quantifiable concentrations of L3 were found (LOD 5.7 ng, MDL 0.83 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013c)
USA, Lake Pepin	2013	13	Not detected	No quantifiable concentrations of L3 were found (LOD 2.3 ng, MDL 0.35 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015b)
Norway, Oslo Fjord	2011	25	Not detected	No quantifiable concentrations of L3 were found (LOD 2.6 ng, MDL 0.58 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Evonik (2015)
Norway, Oslo Fjord	2012	25	Not detected	No quantifiable concentrations of L3 were found (LOD 1.4 ng, MDL 0.78 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Evonik (2016)
Japan, Tokyo Bay	2014	20	<MDL	Measured concentrations of L3 in surface sediment were below the MDL in all samples (LOQ 0.24 ng, MDL 0.08 ng/g ww).	SIAJ, 2015

1 'Not detected' indicates that no peak discernible from baseline was observed in the analysis.

 

Table4.2.4Measured concentrations of L3 in biota

Location – Biota	Sampling year	N (number of samples analysed)	L3^1 (ng/g ww)	Comment	Reference
USA, Lake Pepin Zooplankton Mayfly larvae Gizzard shad Sauger	2011	4 5 11 20	Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected	L3 not present at detectable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices (LOD 9.3 ng, MDL 1.63 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013a)
USA, Lake Pepin Mayfly larvae Gizzard shad Sauger Walleye	2012	8 7 21 20	Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected	L3 not present at quantifiable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices (LOD 4.3 ng, MDL 1.06 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013c)
USA, Lake Pepin Zooplankton Mayfly larvae Gizzard shad Sauger	2013	8 8 10 20	Not detected Not detected <MDL Not detected	Measured concentrations of L3 were below the MDL in all sampled matrices (LOD 5.3 ng, MDL 0.85 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015b)
Canada, Lake Ontario Mysid shrimp Round goby Rainbow smelt Alewife Lake trout	2011	4 12 9 5 19	Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected	L3 not present at detectable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices (LOD 9.3 ng, MDL 1.63 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013b)
Canada, Lake Ontario Mysid shrimp Round goby Rainbow smelt Alewife Lake trout	2012	5 12 3 7 20	Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected	L3 not present at quantifiable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices (LOD 4.3 ng, MDL 1.06 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2014)
Canada, Lake Ontario Mysid shrimp Round goby Rainbow smelt Alewife Lake trout	2013	3 11 5 7 15	Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected	L3 not present at quantifiable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices. LOD 5.3 ng, MDL 0.85 ng/g ww. Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015a)
Norway, Oslo Fjord Cod Herring Shrimp	2011	16 5 5	Not detected Not detected Not detected	Measured concentrations of L3 were below the MDL in all sampled matrices (LOD 3.8 ng, MDL 0.75 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Evonik (2015)
Norway, Oslo Fjord Cod Herring Shrimp	2012	20 20 6	Not detected Not detected Not detected	L3 not present at quantifiable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices (LOD 1.9 ng, MDL 1.62 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Evonik (2016)
Japan, Tokyo Bay Japanese sea bass White croaker Japanese scaled sardine Red barracuda Japanese anchovy	2014	9 9 4 9 9	<MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL	Measured concentrations of L3 were below the MDL in all sampled matrices (LOQ 4.1 ng, MDL 1.4 ng/g ww).	SIAJ (2015)

1 'Not detected' indicates that no peak discernible from baseline was observed in the analysis.

Dow Corning Corporation (2013a) Survey of Surface Sediment and Aquatic Biota from Lake Pepin, USA for the Presence of Octamethyltrisiloxane (L3) (2011). Testing Laboratory: Health and Environmental Sciences Dow Corning Corporation 2200 West Salzburg Road Auburn, MI 48611. Company study no.: 11980-108. Report date: 2013-11-04

Dow Corning Corporation (2013b) DRAFT REPORT Survey of Surface Sediment and Aquatic Biota from Lake Ontario for the Presence of Octamethyltrisiloxane (L3) (2011). Testing Laboratory: Health and Environmental Sciences Dow Corning Corporation 2200 West Salzburg Road Auburn, MI 48611. Company study no.: 11979-108. Report date: 2013-07-11

Dow Corning Corporation (2013c) Survey of Surface Sediment and Aquatic Biota from Lake Pepin, USA for the Presence of Octamethyltrisiloxane (MDM) (2012). Testing Laboratory: Health and Environmental Sciences Dow Corning Corporation 2200 West Salzburg Road Auburn, MI 48611. Company study no.: 12263-108. Report date: 2013-12-17

Dow Corning Corporation (2014) REVISED REPORT: Survey of Surface Sediment and Aquatic Biota from Lake Ontario for the Presence of Octamethyltrisiloxane (MDM) (2012). Testing Laboratory: Health and Environmental Sciences Dow Corning Corporation 2200 West Salzburg Road Auburn, MI 48611. Company study no.: 12269-108. Report date: 2014-04-15

Dow Corning Corporation (2015a). Survey of Surface Sediment and Aquatic Biota from Lake Ontario for the Presence of Octamethyltrisiloxane (MDM) (2013). Testing Laboratory: Health and Environmental Sciences Dow Corning Corporation 2200 West Salzburg Road Auburn, MI 48611. HES Study No. 12446-108. Report date: 21 Dec 2015

Dow Corning Corporation (2015b). Survey of Surface Sediment and Aquatic Biota from Lake Pepin, USA for the Presence of Octamethyltrisiloxane (MDM) (2013). Testing Laboratory: Health and Environmental Sciences Dow Corning Corporation 2200 West Salzburg Road Auburn, MI 48611. HES Study No. 12448-108. Report date: 21 Dec 2015

Evonik (2015) Survey of Surface Sediment and Aquatic Biota from Oslo Fjord, Norway for the Presence of Octamethyltrisiloxane (MDM) (2011). Testing laboratory: Analytical Laboratories (NC-TP-RD-IFT-AL),EVONIK Nutrition & Care GmbH, Goldschmidtstrasse 100,45127 Essen, Germany.Study No. 12170135. Report date: 28 Sept 2015

Evonik (2016) DRAFT REPORT: Survey of Surface Sediment and Aquatic Biota from Oslo Fjord, Norway for the Presence of Octamethyltrisiloxane (MDM) (2012). Testing laboratory:Analytical Laboratories (NC-TP-RD-IFT-AL),EVONIK Nutrition & Care GmbH, Goldschmidtstrasse 100,45127 Essen, Germany. Study No. 12170136-D. Report date: 2016