|
Guidance
on exposure assessment
for the waste stage
|
|
Commissioned by:
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA/2008/2/SR 17)
|
|
Carried out by:
Institute for Environmental Strategies
|
|
Duration:
2009 - 2010
|
|
|
|
Background and objectives |
|
According to REACH Annex I, the waste stage is to be
considered in the frame of the chemical safety assessment for all
dangerous substances. For each identified use it is to be determined
which fraction of the registered substance becomes waste, how the
wastes are managed at the different steps of the supply chain and
whether or not risks to man or the environment could occur. |
|
The exposure assessment of the waste stage is a particular
challenge for registrants, because frequently information on waste
management in the supply chain is lacking, similar or event the same
types of wastes could be handed over to different waste treatment
processes and substance - specific release factors are available in
the minority of cases. |
|
This project was commissioned by ECHA develop a methodology
for the release estimation of substances in the waste stage and to
compile relevant information, in order to provide a basis for an update
of the respective guidance document on exposure assessment for the
waste life stage. |
|
|
Results |
|
According to the developed method registrants
may identify the possible waste streams of their substances (at the
first level, these are municipal waste, wastes for recycling and hazardous
wastes) and estimate releases by using default release factors. This
is to be done separately for each identified use. Possibilities of
refinement of the emission estimated are described.
The amount of waste treatment installations of a particular technology
is considered in the estimation of local emissions (fmainsource) in
order to take the different infrastructure of the waste sector into
account. Waste treatment processes which correspond to processes of
the supply chain, like the recycling processes of polymers, don't
have to be assessed again but can be regarded as covered by the assessment
of the use. |
|
Two examples were developed (antioxidant
in polymers and use of medium chain chlorinated paraffins) to illustrate
the procedure of emission estimation and which information should
be communicated with the safety data sheet. |
|
The ECHA guidance update based on the project results
is currently under consultation. It can be found at http://guidance.echa.europa.eu/guidance4_en.htm |
|
|
|
Contact |
|
Dirk
Jepsen |
|
Antonia
Reihlen |
|
|
|
|
|