Dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane

Endpoint summary

Additional information

Extract from CSR: Section 9.15: Measurements of the concentration of D6 in the environment

Refer to CSR for references

The following is a summary of environmental monitoring data on D6, including studies from 2002 to 2014. The monitoring results are summarised in Table 9.15.1 (sediment), Table 9.15.2 (air and surface water) and Table 9.15.3 (biota) below. The studies include some remote locations, as well as locations close to urban populations.

D6 is present as an impurity and widely used in commercial products (e.g., personal care products). D6 is highly volatile and of low solubility in water. The main route of entry into the aquatic environment is via wastewater treatment plant effluents. D6 does volatilise to air, but its properties dictate low potential for back-deposition to land or water.

Analytical measurement of trace levels of D6 in environmental samples is difficult due to its physical properties and uses, which can inadvertently lead to significant sample contamination. D6 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. Since about 2008, environmental monitoring programs have tended to 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.

However, in general, newer studies which do use specific prohibition of personal care products during collection, processing, or analysis of samples, are not representative of remote locations (e.g. Lake Pepin (Dow Corning Corporation, 2009d, Dow Corning Corporation 2011a), Oslofjord (Dow Corning Corporation, 2010a), Lake Ontario (Dow Corning Corporation 2011b, Dow Corning Corporation 2012)).

The data available on environmental concentrations that could be considered as remote locations is discussed further now.

The occurrence of D6 has been reported in biota from the arctic regions (e.g., Kajet al., 2005; TemaNord 2005). However, the observed concentrations away from population centres were typically low,and it is noted that protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of personal care products during collection, processing, or analysis of samples

An early study at a remote location that perhaps gave rigorousattention to avoiding background contamination took place in 2008 to 2009 (Dow Corning Corporation, 2010b). In cooperation with the Norwegian Polar Institute and Akvaplan-niva, scientists from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) collected environmental samples from Svalbard, Norway and the west coast of Sweden. Samples were divided and sent to three laboratories for analysis (NILU, Evonik in Germany, and Dow Corning in Michigan, USA). Samples were collected, processed, and analysed using strict protocols that prohibited the use of personal care products by all field and laboratory personnel.

As reported byDow Corning Corporation(2010b), the sampling campaign occurred at three locations in Svalbard, Norway. Longyearbyen (Adventfjorden) has a permanent population of approximately 2500 and is a popular destination for tourists and cruise ships. Ny Ålesund (Kongsfjorden) has a permanent population of approximately 150 and is also a popular stop for cruise ships. Liefdefjorden does not have any permanent settlements on it but is also frequently visited by cruise ships. In remote monitoring, control of background contamination continues to be a significant challenge when collecting and analysing for D6 in environmental samples, especially when approaching the detection limit of the method. Despite this, overall the levels of D6 in sediment samples were all less than detection in all three locations, and levels in biota samples were all low to non-detected.

Evensetet al.(2009) also took appropriate controls during collection/processing/analysis of samples, and also sampled at Liefdefjorden and Kongsfjorden, as well as Billefjorden and Moffen. Similar results were found. Sediment samples were all less than detection. Biota samples were all low to non-detected.

Table 9.15.1. Measured concentrations of D6 in sediment

Description of samples	Sampling year	N (number of sampling locations)	D6	Comment	Reference
Sediment			(ng/g dw)
Norway, Sweden background locations	2004	7	all <MDL	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	TemaNord (2005)
Six countries, urban and industrial areas	2004, 2005	19	n=13, <MDL n=4, 0.89 to 10 n=2, 25 to 170
Sweden, background locations	2004, 2005	3	all <MDL	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Kaj et al. (2005)
Sweden, Industrial areas, chemical plants, regional locations	2004, 2005	24	n=22, <MDL n=2, 51 to 196
Norway, Oslofjord	2006	6	n=1, <17 n=5, 22 to 100	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Schlabach (2007)
Norway, Barents Sea	2007	11	all <MDL	Secondary citation, protocols not available	Bakke et al. (2008)
Norway, Svalbard (Liefdefjorden, Kongsfjorden)	2008	4	all <MDL	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Evenset et al. (2009)
Canada, Lake Opeongo, Ontario	2007	9	all <LOD	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2010a)
Canada, Lake Ontario	2007	6	n=5, <LOD n=1, 197.9	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2007)
Canada, Lake Ontario	2011	5	3.57 to 23.65  [ng/g wet weight]	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2011)
Canada, Lake Ontario	2012	5	4.18 to 30.3   [ng/g wet weight]	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2012)
USA, Lake Pepin, Minnesota	2006	11	<MDL to 78.7	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2010c)
USA, Lake Pepin, Minnesota	2008	30	mean 6.5 [ng/g wet weight]	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2009)
USA, Lake Pepin	2011	12	3.07 to 4.03  [ng/g wet weight]	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015a)
Norway, Inner Oslofjord	2008	8 7	42.5 to 93.5 42.3 to 111	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2010a)
Norway, Outer Oslofjord	2008	6 5	5.17 to 9.78 6.94 to 16.7
Norway, Svalbard (Adventfjorden, Kongsfjorden)	2009	10	all <MDL	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation(2010b)
Japan, Inner Tokyo Bay	2012	20	n=13 1.4 to 10 n=7 11 to 20 [ng/g wet weight]	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	ECCC (2013)
Japan, Inner Tokyo Bay	2013	20	n=13 2.0 to 10 n=7 11 to 18 [ng/g wet weight]	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	ECCC (2014)
USA, Lake Pepin, Minnesota	2012	18	3.26 to 4.05  [ng/g wet weight]	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015b)

 

 

Table 9.15.2. Measured concentrations of D6 in air and surface water

Description of samples	Sampling year	N (number of sampling locations)	D6	Comment	Reference
Air
Sweden background locations	2004, 2005	3	<12 to 77 ng/m^3	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Kaj et al. (2005)
Sweden, Industrial areas, chemical plants, regional locations	2004, 2005	8	< 12 to 42 ng/m^3
Sweden, background locations	2004, 2005	24	20 to 2100 ng/m^3	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	TemaNord (2005)
Sweden, background (rural) location	2009	34	NA	One site sampled repeatedly over 4 month period, in duplicate. Special precaution used during sample collection and analysis. Method was validated and QC was used to monitor contamination/breakthrough.	Kierkegaard and McLachlan (2009)
Surface water
Norway – Oslofjord	2006	4	all <20 ng/L	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Schlabach (2007)
Sweden – Industrial areas, chemical plants	2004, 2005	4	all <40 ng/L	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Kaj et al. (2005)
Scandinavia – six countries, freshwater and marine	2004, 2005	13	all <MDL (varying MDL)	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	TemaNord (2005)

Table 9.15.3. Measured concentrations of D6 in biota

Description of samples	Sampling year	N (number of sampling locations)	D6	Comment	Reference
Biota			(ng/g ww)
Six countries:: fish livers, seal blubber, seabird eggs	2002, 2004	21 (fish)	n=19, <LOQ n=2, 5.2 to 74	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	TemaNord (2005)
		7 (seal)	all <LOQ
		17 (eggs)	all <LOD
Sweden, Background locations	2004, 2005	3	all <5	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Kaj et al. (2005)
Sweden,, industrial areas, chemical plants, regional locations – fish muscle tissue		16	all <5
Norway, Oslofjord – fish livers, stomach contents, mussels	2004, 2006	9 (fish samples)	0.9 to 151.5	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Schlabach (2007)
		3 (mussels)	1.3 to 1.8
Canada, Lake Opeongo, Ontario (zooplankton)	2007	3	all<LOD	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2010d)
USA, Lake Pepin, Minnesota (benthos)	2008	7	mean 23.8	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2009)
Norway, Inner Oslofjord (benthos)	2008	14 4	0.40 to 20 <MDL to 6.7	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2010a)
Norway, Outer Oslofjord (benthos)	2008	12 6	<MDL to 14 <MDL to 7.1
Norway, Inner Oslofjord (fish)	2008	33 35	1.80 to 43 <MDL to 42
Norway, Outer Oslofjord (fish)	2008	24 27	0.71 to 9.7 <MDL to 11
Norway, Svalbard – fish livers, whole fish 1. Liefdefjorden 2. Kongsfjorden 3.Billefjorden 4. Moffen	2008	16	1. n=2 polar cod fish liver 10.7 2. n=5 atlantic cod fish liver <MDL (varying MDL) 3. n=4 polar cod fish liver <MDL 4. n=5 polar cod whole fish, 2.2-3.8	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Evenset et al. (2009)
Norway, Svalbard - Kittiwake, Eider 1. Liefdefjorden 2. Kongsfjorden	2008	14	1. n=4 Kittiwake in <MDL 2. n=5 Kittiwake <MDL n=5 Eider <MDL
Norway, Svalbard fish livers, 2 species: 1. Liefdefjorden, 2. Kongsfjorden 3. Adventfjorden	2009	1. 18 2. 19 3. 27	1. n=13, <MDL n=5, 0.98 to 3.60 2. n=19, 1.38 to 15.6 3. n=1, <MDL n=26, 1.03 to 4.9	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation(2010b)
Norway, Sweden Herring gull, Glaucous gull, Black Guillemot liver and tissue	2008	38	n=23, <MDL n=15, 1.35 to 20.5	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation(2010b)
Kittiwake Black Guillemot blood		33	all <MDL
Japan, Inner Tokyo Bay Japanese Sea Bass, White Croaker, Japanese Scaled Sardine, Red Barracuda, Japanese Anchovy	2012	40	<MDL to 12	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	ECCC (2013)
Japan, Inner Tokyo Bay Japanese Sea Bass, White Croaker, Japanese Scaled Sardine, Red Barracuda, Japanese Anchovy	2013	30	1.5 to 7.4	Protocols did not specifically prohibit the use of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	ECCC (2014)
USA, Lake Pepin Mayfly larvae Gizzard Shad Sauger	2011	36	0.84 to 1.55 (re-analysis)	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015a)
Canada, Lake Ontario Mysid shrimp Round goby Rainbow smelt Alewife Lake trout	2011	49	1.89 to 10.69	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2011)
Canada, Lake Ontario Mysid shrimp Round goby Rainbow smelt Alewife Lake trout	2012	47	1.23 to 11.9	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2012)
USA, Lake Pepin Mayfly larvae Gizzard Shad Sauger Walleye	2012	40	0.43 - 1.77 (MDL = 1.1)	Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015b)

 

REFERENCES:

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