Endocrine disrupting properties: how far and consistent they are considered deriving Water Framework Directive Environmental Quality Standards ? A case study tackling French and EU EQS values
Résumé
The concern raised by endocrine disrupting properties of chemicals should be tackled in diverse regulatory frameworks, among which the Water Framework Directive Common Implementation Strategy (WFD CIS). In this context, endocrine disruption (ED) is quoted several times as an issue for deriving water quality thresholds in the European Commission Technical Guidance for Deriving Environmental Quality Standards (TGD EQS). However, even if this guidance introduces ED properties as a reason for growing concern, it does not properly recommend any specific methodological approach to consider these properties while deriving EQS values. In order to evaluate the usefulness of such a recommendation and the extent to which it should be implemented, a state of the art of how ED properties are currently been taken on board in the EQSs already derived at EU and national level was made. To begin with, the work consisted in carrying out an inventory of substances for which an EQS had been derived and a factsheet describing the reasoning behind value was available. These substances made up the universe of 178 substances on which further work was led. Then, an analysis was made of these substances EQSs derivation to categorise them according to how ED properties where reported and taken on board if necessary for protection of wildlife and human health. This work led to 4 groups of substances. Group 1 contains substances whose EQS values do not consider ED effects, and which need to be reassessed as a matter of priority. Substances for which EQS derivation has considered ED effects but whose rationale does not clearly explain this are grouped together in Group 2 and should be verified. Group 3 corresponds to substances whose ED characteristics have been considered by an additional safety factor and / or a study that covers ED effects. Group 4 contains all substances that have no ED effects demonstrated from now on. No action is required for these last two categories. This state of play and categorisation work made it possible to prioritise substances for which EQS should be updated first as regards their ED potential. Also, this work gives more insight in how to derive EQSs as regards ED potential in order to further propose recommendations for a harmonisation of the methodology in the future.