ARCHIVED - Pilot Phase for Screening Assessment
The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) required the categorization of all existing substances on the Domestic Substances List (DSL) to identify and prioritize substances for further action. For many substances that have met the categorization criteria, and for others meeting different criteria under Section 75 of the Act, a health risk assessment could be part of the next steps.
In 2000, a pilot phase was initiated to develop the scientifically rigorous and technically sound processes that Health Canada and Environment Canada would each use to conduct screening level assessments. This pilot phase was intended to be instructive and provide valuable information on the most thorough and efficient approach for conducting such assessments. A total of 123 substances were nominated to the pilot phase: Health Canada selected 30 substances and Environment Canada nominated 93.
Substances were selected for the pilot based on their estimated value for developing the screening assessment process. Substances selected by Health Canada were chosen on the basis of data available at the time, to represent a broad range of data sets for screening assessment. The likely potential for exposure of the population of Canada was considered in selecting the Health Canada nominations to this pilot phase, but only in a very preliminary fashion, well before development of the "tools" used to determine whether substances posed the "greatest potential for exposure", as part of the process associated with the health-related components of DSL categorization.
Based upon the health-related results of DSL categorization, some of the Health Canada substances nominated for inclusion in the pilot phase are now considered to be either a high or moderate priority for further action, and the information gathered during the pilot phase will be useful in subsequent stages. However, the health-related components of DSL categorization have also revealed that many of the health nominations to the pilot phase are now low priorities for further work from a human health perspective, and as a result, there will be no further action on these undertaken at this time under CEPA 1999. The screening level health risk assessments on a few of these moderate/low priorities will nonetheless be finished, since they are very close to completion currently.
CAS | Name | Categorization/ Prioritization Result | Health Canada Status |
51-28-5 | Phenol, 2,4-dinitro (2,4-Dinitrophenol) | Not a Health Priority | Not a Priority for Health Assessment at this time. |
59-50-7 | Phenol, 4-chloro-3-methyl- (4-Chloro-3-methylphenol) | Not a Health Priority | Not a Priority for Health Assessment at this time. |
67-56-1 | Methanol | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
67-63-0 | 2-Propanol (Isopropyl alcohol) | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
67-64-1 | 2-Propanone (Acetone) | Moderate Health Priority | Health Assessment in Progress |
71-36-3 | 1-Butanol (n-Butyl alcohol) | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
74-85-1 | Ethene (Ethylene) | Not a Health Priority | Not a Priority for Health Assessment at this time. |
75-35-4 | Ethene, 1,1-dichloro- (1,1-Dichloroethylene) | High Health Priority | SoS Report available |
78-87-5 | Propane, 1,2-dichloro- (1,2-Dichloropropane) | Not a Health Priority | Not a Priority for Health Assessment at this time. |
78-93-3 | 2-Butanone (Methyl ethyl ketone) | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
79-92-5 | Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, 2,2-dimethyl-3-methylene- (Camphene) | Not a Health Priority | Not a Priority for Health Assessment at this time. |
91-20-3 | Naphthalene | High Health Priority | Health Assessment in Progress |
91-22-5 | Quinoline | High Health Priority | SoS Report available |
92-52-4 | 1,1'-Biphenyl (Diphenyl) | Not a Health Priority | SoS Report available |
95-63-6 | Benzene, 1,2,4- trimethyl- | Not a Health Priority | Not a Priority for Health Assessment at this time. |
100-41-4 | Benzene, ethyl- (Ethyl benzene) | High Health Priority | SoS Report available |
106-93-4 | Ethane, 1,2-dibromo (Ethylene dibromide) | High Health Priority | SoS Report available |
108-10-1 | 2-Pentanone, 4-methyl- (Methyl isobutyl ketone) | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
110-82-7 | Cyclohexane | Low Health Priority | Not a Priority for Health Assessment at this time. |
111-42-2 | Ethanol, 2,2'-iminobis- (Diethanolamine) | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
111-46-6 | Ethanol, 2,2'-oxybis- (Glycols or Diethylene glycol) | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
115-07-1 | 1-Propene (Propylene) | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
120-83-2 | Phenol, 2,4-dichloro- (2,4-Dichlorophenol) | Not a Health Priority | Not a Priority for Health Assessment at this time. |
124-18-5 | Decane | Not a Health Priority | Not a Priority for Health Assessment at this time. |
534-52-1 | Phenol, 2-methyl-4,6-dinitro- (4,6-Dinitro-o-cresol) | High Health Priority | SoS Report available |
1330-78-5 | Phosphoric acid, tris(methylphenyl) ester (Tritolyl phosphate) | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
7647-01-0 | Hydrochloric acid | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
7664-93-9 | Sulfuric acid | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
7783-06-4 | Hydrogen sulfide | Not a Health Priority | Health Assessment in Progress |
10049-04-4 | Chlorine oxide (Chlorine dioxide) | Moderate Health Priority | To be considered for Further Action at a later date |
Information on the 93 substances selected by Environment Canada for use in the pilot phase is available here.
A review prepared by Health Canada indicating that six of these 123 DSL pilot phase substances are not priorities for screening health assessment currently, owing to their use only in pesticidal applications, is presented here.
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