1,1,1-trichloroethane

Monitoring data

Administrative data

Endpoint:

monitoring data

Type of information:

other: Review document

Adequacy of study:

key study

Study period:

<1999

Reliability:

other: The exposure assessment conducted in this document comes from a number of sources

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: see 'Remark'

Remarks:

The review was conducted to current European criteria by a competent European authority (EURO CHLOR) and was requested by OSPARCOM for submission to the European Union to evaluate the effects of chlorine materials on the aquatic environment with particular reference to the North Sea. The studies available to the reviewers included studies other than those in the public domain. The reliability of this review can be rated as a 2.

Cross-reference

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

reference to same study

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Unnamed

Year:

1999

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

no guideline required

Deviations:

not applicable

Remarks:

review document

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Analysis for 1,1,1-trichloroethane was conducted as part of a systematic monitoring programme organised at an inter government level to monitor concentrations in marine, river and estuarine waters during the 1980's and 1990's. Samples were analysed over an area covering the Arctic Sea to the mouth of the English Channel.

GLP compliance:

not specified

Type of measurement:

other: Both background and point source areas.

Media:

other: Saltwater,brackish water and river water.

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

1,1,1-trichloroethane

EC Number:

200-756-3

EC Name:

1,1,1-trichloroethane

Cas Number:

71-55-6

Molecular formula:

C2H3Cl3

IUPAC Name:

1,1,1-trichloroethane

Details on test material:

Not applicable. This work involved monitoring by analysis of concentrations in the aquatic medium to determine background levels and worst-case point source contaminated sites.

Study design

Details on sampling:

No details on sampling are provided however as this exercise was conducted as part of a government programme sampling techniques will have been scientifically valid and probably conducted in a manner making the data collected uniform to permit usable conclusions to be drawn from the data collected by different agencies.

Results and discussion

Concentration

Country:

other: Estuaries and coastal waters 1990-1992

Location:

UK and Netherland

Substance or metabolite:

substance

Conc.:

0.024 - 0.206 µg/L

Remarks on result:

other: The lower concentration is the geometric mean background level and the higher concentration is the highest worst-case reading.

Details on results:

The authors interpret the results as indicating that in open seas levels of 1,1,1-trichloroethane are extremely low. In coastal and estuarine conditions around the North Sea observed concentrations range from <0.005 - 7.6ug/L although levels above 1.0ug/L are considered outliers. The most recent general survey showed levels to range from 0.024ug/L up to a worst-case situation of 0.206ug/L primarily as a result from restrictions in use resulting from the Montreal protocol implimentation. In inland rivers levels from the most recent surveys are usually <0.1ug/L. Where industry is concentrated levels can rise to 0.6ug/L (a value for the Mersey of 1.1ug/L is considered an outlier).
The results are presented as a series of detailed tables and maps. A summary of the information in these tables is provided below.

Any other information on results incl. tables

Location	Sampling date	Water characteristics	Trichloroethane concentration (mg/L)
North Sea (open)	1983-84	Salt	0.005
Artic Sea (Spitzburg)	1980	Salt	0.0025
Artic Sea (open)	1987	Salt	0.00005
Great Britain
English Channel (Plymouth)	1993	Salt	0.015
North Sea coast	1993	Salt	0.015 - 0.137
Solent estuary	1990	Salt/brackish	0.005 - 2.79
Humber estuary	1993 1992	Salt/brackish	0.0051 - 0.053 0.01 - 0.049
Tees estuary	1996 1992	Salt/brackish	0.1 0.206
Wear estuary	1992	Salt/brackish	0.01 - 0.064
Tyne estuary	1992	Salt/brackish	0.01 - 0.089
Liverpool Bay	1992	Salt/brackish	0.01 - 0.04
Poole	1992	Salt/brackish	0.01 - 0.015
Mersey estuary	1989 1993	Salt/brackish	0.07 - 7.6 0.167
Humber	1990	Freshwater	0.053
Mersey	1991	Freshwater	1.1
Belgium
Scheldt, Doel	1994	Freshwater	0.17 - 0.49
Scheldt, Baasrode	1995	Freshwater	0.097
Meuse	1992-94 1995	Freshwater	0.03 0.1
France
Loire estuary	1983-84	Salt/brackish	0.048 - 0.068
Siene	1995	Freshwater	1.0
Netherlands
Rhine/Maas estuary	1983-84 1994	Salt/brackish	Max 0.029 0.020
Ijsselmeer	1989-92	Salt/brackish	0.1
North Sea coast	1983-84 1990	Salt	0.007 0.1
Rhine	1983	Freshwater	0.005 - 0.08
Rhine. Lobith	1990 1991 1993	Freshwater	Max 0.1 0.05 0.05
Rhine, Hagestien	1991-92	Freshwater	0.1
Maas, Eijsden	1991 1992 1993 1994 1995	Freshwater	0.15 0.19 0.17 0.26 0.08
Maas, Keizersveer	1992 1993 1994-95	Freshwater	0.02 0.01 0.01
Germany
Schlei estuary	1981	Baltic Sea	Max 0.145
North Sea coast	1981	Salt	Max 0.005
Weser estuary	1981 1993	Baltic Sea	Max 0.025 0.1
Necker	1982-83 1988		0.1 0.03 - 0.06
Rodau	1985-89	Freshwater	0.2 - 1.0
Unterweser	1985-87	Freshwater	0.1
Elbe, Schnackenburg	1980-aged to	Freshwater	0.022
Elbe, Stade	1981	Freshwater	0.03 - 0.057
Elbe profile	1992	Freshwater	0.01 - 0.04
Main	1989-90	Freshwater	0.01 - 0.03
Rhine, Bad Honnef	1990	Freshwater	0.05 - 0.08
Rhine, Koln	1991	Freshwater	0.03 - 0.21
Rhine, Dusseldorf	1986	Freshwater	Max 0.1
Rhine, Niederrhein	1985	Freshwater	0.14
Rhine, Karlsruhe	1988	Freshwater	0.02 - 0.09
Sieg	1986-90	Freshwater	0.1 - 0.1
Wupper	1986-91	Freshwater	0.05 - 0.6
Erft	1986-91	Freshwater	0.1 - 0.2
Ruhr	1986-90	Freshwater	0.05 - 0.6
Emscher	1986-91	Freshwater	0.5 - 2.4
Lippe	1986-91	Freshwater	0.1 - 0.53
Sweden
Skagerrak	1988	Salt	0.0024 - 0.003
Switzerland
Northern (155 samples, 45 rivers.)	1981-83	Freshwater	0.064
Rivers and lakes (general)	1984	Freshwater	0.063

Key < + below the LOD

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Conclusions:

The paper summarises the results of an comprehensive survey which has been ongoing for over 20 years covering both salt, brackish and freshwater. The results from the most recent survey (UK and Netherlands 1990-92) showed that the geometric mean for marine and estuarine waters was 0.024ug/L which comfortably meets current EU maximum limits of 10ug/L. The maximum levels recorded in freshwater is 1.1ug/L which is also well within the current EU permissible maximum.

Executive summary:

This paper summarises the aquatic monitoring data conducted governmental authorities or agencies on 1,1,1-trichloroethane in marine, brackish and freshwater environments. The results showed that over a 20 year period concentrations in all environments are comparatively low. In coastal and estuarine conditions around the North Sea observed concentrations range from <0.005 - 7.6ug/L were recorded although where levels above 1.0ug/L have been recorded these are considered outliers. The most recent general survey showed levels are falling to range from 0.024ug/L up to a worst-case situation of 0.206ug/L primarily as a result of restrictions in use resulting from the Montreal protocol.  In inland rivers levels from the most recent surveys are usually of the order of 0.1ug/L although again as in the marine environment high concentrations are occasionally found particularly where industry is concentrated. In industrial situations levels can rise to 0.6ug/L (a value for the Mersey of 1.1ug/L is considered an outlier).

Information available from surveys permits the calculation of the potential PEC without the use of models. The data recorded indicates that concentrations of 1,1,1-trichloroethane are well below the current EU recommended maximum of 10ug/L.