ARCHIVED - Draft Ecological Screening Assessment Report for 2,2'-Methylenebis[6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-methylphenol]

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999) requires the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health to conduct screening assessments to determine whether substances present or may present a risk to the environment or to human health. Based on the results of a screening assessment, the Ministers can propose taking no further action with respect to the substance, adding the substance to the Priority Substances List for further assessment or recommending that the substance be added to Schedule 1 and, where applicable, the implementation of virtual elimination.

A screening assessment involves an analysis of a substance using available information to determine whether the substance meets the criteria set out under Section 64 of CEPA 1999. The approach taken in this ecological screening assessment is to examine various supporting information and develop conclusions based on a weight of evidence approach as required under Section 76.1 of CEPA 1999. The screening assessment does not present an exhaustive review of all available data. Instead, it presents the critical studies and lines of evidence supporting the conclusions. One line of evidence includes consideration of risk quotients to identify potential for ecological effects. However, other concerns that affect current or potential risk, such as persistence and bioaccumulation, are also considered in this report.

An ecological screening assessment was undertaken on 2,2'-methylenebis[6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-] (CAS No. 119-47-1) because it was identified in a pilot project list of 123 substances on the Domestic Substances List (DSL) requiring a screening assessment under CEPA 1999. Substances included in the pilot project were considered likely to meet the CEPA 1999 Section 73 categorization criteria of 1) persistent and/or bioaccumulative and inherently toxic to non-human organisms; or 2) having a high potential for exposure of Canadians.

Data relevant to the ecological screening assessment of this substance were identified in original literature, review documents and industry research reports. Online literature database searches were conducted. Data obtained as of November 2003 were considered in this document. In addition, an industry survey was conducted in 2000 through a Canada Gazette Notice issued under authority of Section 71 of CEPA 1999. This survey collected data on the Canadian manufacture and import of the DSL pilot project substances (Environment Canada, 2001).

This ecological screening assessment report and the associated unpublished supporting working documentation were written by a team of Environment Canada evaluators within the Existing Substances Division in Gatineau, Quebec. The substance matter in this report has been subjected to external review by experts, including S. Dungey (United Kingdom Environment Agency), M. Hewitt, V. Balakrishnan and J.V. Headley (National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada), T. Fletcher (Ontario Ministry of the Environment) and M. Bonnell (New Substances Branch, Environment Canada). The interpretations and conclusions presented in this report are those of Environment Canada and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the external reviewers.

The ecological and human health screening assessment reports were approved by the joint Environment Canada/Health Canada CEPA Management Committee. The supporting working documentation for the ecological assessment is available upon request by e-mail from existing.substances.existantes@ec.gc.ca. Information on ecological screening assessments under CEPA 1999 is available at http://www.ec.gc.ca/substances/ese.