SCHEER - Scientific Opinion on "Draft Environmental Quality Standards for Priority Substances under the Water Framework Directive"- POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS (PBDEs)

SCHEER WG on Water Framework Directive
SCHEER members: Marian Scott (Chair), Marco Vighi (Rapporteur), Thomas Backhaus, Teresa Borges, 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: 24 January 2023

The dossier on Environmental Quality Standards for “PBDEs” is evaluated by the SCHEER according to the general mandate on EQS dossiers.

The current EQS Dossier is a revision of the PBDE dossier published in 2011 (EC, 2011). The revision deals with two sections, viz., the biota and the drinking water sections. Other sections have not been revised. The current Dossier thus proposes new QSs for biota, for secondary poisoning and for human health. Other QSs, which were derived in the 2011 dossier, remain unchanged. In the present Opinion, the SCHEER evaluated the revised sections and QSs (only).

The SCHEER endorses the QS_{biota, secpois, fw} of 0.384 μg kg_ww^-1 for fish (rounded to: 0.38 μg kg_ww^-1). The SCHEER does not endorse the QS_{biota, secpois, sw} of 0.0128 because the BMF₂ of 20 is considered to be too low.

The SCHEER endorses the proposed values for QS_{water biota} of 6.11 x 10^-6 (rounded to 6.1 x 10^-6μg L^-1) for freshwater but does not endorse the QS_{water biota} of 2.03 x 10^-7 μg L^-1 for marine waters.

The SCHEER endorses the QS_{hh dw} equal to 1.61 x 10^-2 (rounded to 1.6 x 10^-2 ng L^-1).

Although the QS_{water biota} could not be endorsed by the SCHEER, it is likely that the AA-QS in both fresh and marine water derived from QS_{biota hh}, equivalent to 4.5 x 10^-6 ng L^-1, will be the most critical value.

Taking into account that the application of Concentration Addition is still not possible due to insufficient toxicological information on individual PBDE congeners, the SCHEER considers that the best way forward is to relate the EQS to the sum-concentration of all PBDE congeners detected in an environmental compartment, both expressed on a molar basis.

Keywords:

PBDEs, 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 - PBDEs, 24 January 2023.