Screening Risk Assessment of Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Ecosystems Using a Multimedia Model

Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are persistent and highly bioaccumulative substances. The possible risks to ecosystems caused by releases of SCCPs to the environment have been assessed in the European Union and the United States of America. The study reported in this paper was a screening risk assessment of SCCPs in the ecosystems of Japan. However, the monitoring data for SCCPs in Japan were too limited to estimate the overview of exposure. Therefore, in this study, the flows and releases throughout the life cycle of these substances were estimated from international data, environmental concentrations were predicted using a multimedia model, and risk characterization was conducted. The results indicate that there is a low potential risk from SCCPs to aquatic and sediment-dwelling organisms in most regions and local areas of Japan.