SCHEER - Scientific Opinion on "Draft Environmental Quality Standards for Priority Substances under the Water Framework Directive" - HBCDD

SCHEER WG on Water Framework Directive
SCHEER members: Marian Scott (Chair), Marco Vighi (Rapporteur), Thomas Backhaus, Teresa Borges, Raquel Duarte Davidson, Peter Hoet, Pim de Voogt, Rodica Mariana Ion
External experts: Andrew Johnson, Jan Linders
Contact: SANTE-SCHEERec [dot] europa [dot] eu (SANTE-SCHEER[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
On request from: European Commission
Adopted on: 16 January 2023

The dossier on Environmental Quality Standards for “HBCDD” is evaluated by the SCHEER according to the general mandate on EQS dossiers. However, in the case of HBCDD, the SCHEER was asked specifically to evaluate only the revision of the QSs that relate to secondary poisoning of top predators (QS_{secpois, biota}) and to human health due to food uptake (QS_{biota, hh}). The SCHEER therefore did not evaluate other QSs in the Dossier. Those other QSs were evaluated in 2011. The SCHEER recommends to update the other QSs because many new data on the aquatic toxicity of HBCDD have become available in the period 2011-2022.

The SCHEER endorses the QS_{biota, secpois, fw} of 89.68 μg kg_ww^-1 (rounded to 90 μg kg_ww^-1) and the QS_{biota, secpois,sw} of 3.5 μg kg_ww^-1, both for fish.

The SCHEER also endorses the corresponding QS_{fw, biota} equal to 4.6 x 10^-4 μg L^-1, and the QS_{sw, biota} of 2 x 10^-5 μg L^-1.

The SCHEER endorses the QS_{water, biota hh} of 0.064 μg L^-1.

The SCHEER observes that the most critical EQS (in terms of impact on environment/health) has been correctly identified, being the QS_{sw, eco} of 2 x 10^-5 μg L^-1.

Keywords:

HBCDD, Water Framework Directive, environmental quality standards

Opinion to be cited as:

SCHEER (Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks), Final Opinion on Draft Environmental Quality Standards for Priority Substances under the Water Framework Directive - HBCDD, 16 January 2023.