NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS NOTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT SCHEME

GPO Box 58, Sydney NSW 2001 AUSTRALIA www.nicnas.gov.au

Priority Existing Chemical Assessment Report No. 34

JUNE 2012

Hexabromocyclododecane

cclxxxvi

xxi

Priority Existing Chemical Assessment Report Hexabromocyclododecane - June 2012

ISBN 978-1-74241-715-8

Online ISBN: 978-1-74241-716-5

Publications approval number: D0755

Copyright Statements:

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Commonwealth of Australia 2012

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Internet sites

Commonwealth of Australia 2012

This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce the whole or part of this work in unaltered form for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation, for internal use within your organisation, but only if you or your organisation do not use the reproduction for any commercial purpose and retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer notices as part of that reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 or allowed by this copyright notice, all other rights are reserved and you are not allowed to reproduce the whole or any part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise) without first being given the specific written permission from the Commonwealth to do so. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent to the Online, Services and External Relations Branch, Department of Health and Ageing, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, or via e-mail to copyright@health.gov.au.

Contents

Prefacevii

Overviewix

Recommendationsxv

Secondary notificationxviii

Acronyms and abbreviationsxix

1.Introduction1

1.1Declaration1

1.2Objectives1

1.3Sources of information1

1.4Peer review2

1.5Applicants3

2.Background4

2.1Flame retardants4

2.2International perspective5

2.3Australian perspective14

3.Identity, properties and analysis15

3.1Chemical identity15

3.2Physical properties17

3.3Chemical properties20

3.4 Methods of detection and analysis21

4.Manufacture, importation and use22

4.1Technical grade HBCD22

4.2Liquid dispersions containing HBCD22

4.3Expandable polystyrene resin containing HBCD22

4.4Articles containing HBCD22

4.5Quantities imported23

4.6Uses of HBCD25

4.6.1Use of HBCD in expandable polystyrene resin25

4.6.2Use of HBCD in the textile industry27

4.6.3Use of HBCD in other plastics27

4.6.4Use of HBCD in articles28

4.6.5Summary of uses in Australia28

4.6.6Other uses overseas29

5.Public exposure30

5.1Exposure assessment methodology30

5.2Direct exposure30

5.2.1Sources of exposure30

5.2.2Estimated direct exposure31

5.3Indirect exposure33

5.3.1Sources and routes of exposure33

5.3.2Indoor exposure33

5.3.3Outdoor exposure38

5.3.4Food consumption39

5.3.5Breast milk41

5.4Summary of public exposure estimates46

5.5Biological monitoring data47

6.Occupational exposure51

6.1Methodology for assessing exposure51

6.2Routes of exposure51

6.2.1Inhalation route52

6.2.2Dermal route52

6.3Exposure modelling53

6.3.1Exposure scenarios53

6.3.2Assumptions used in estimating exposures54

6.4Exposure during importation and repackaging54

6.4.1Measured data55

6.4.2Modelled exposures55

6.5Exposure in the polymer industry56

6.5.1Compounding raw HBCD into resins56

6.5.2Conversion of polymeric resin into EPS foam products57

6.5.3Injection moulding to produce plastic articles59

6.5.4Measured data59

6.5.6Comparison of measured data and modelled exposures63

6.6Exposure in the textile industry64

6.6.1Formulation of flame-retardant coatings64

6.6.2Exhaustion treatment of polyester textiles64

6.6.3Blinds coating65

6.6.4Measured data65

6.6.5Modelled exposures65

6.7Exposure of end users to HBCD-containing products66

6.7.1Measured data66

6.7.2Modelled exposures66

6.8Summary of occupational exposures67

7.Environmental exposure69

7.1Introduction69

7.2Quantifying release to the environment69

7.2.1Local release during importation and processing69

7.2.2Release during service life of long-life articles74

7.2.3Delayed release from waste disposal78

7.2.4Summary of releases79

7.3Environmental fate and partitioning behaviour80

7.3.1Data for exposure prediction/modelling80

7.3.2Physical and chemical properties81

7.3.3Persistence and partitioning81

7.4Predicted environmental concentrations107

7.4.1PECair107

7.4.2PECwater108

7.4.3PECsediment110

7.4.4PECsoil111

7.4.5Groundwater112

7.5Monitoring data112

7.5.1Australian data112

7.5.2International data112

7.6Summary of environmental fate115

7.6.1Physical and chemical properties115

7.6.2Abiotic degradation115

7.6.3Biotic degradation115

7.6.4Bioaccumulation116

7.6.5Potential for long-range transport117

7.6.6Conclusion117

7.7Final environmental concentrations for risk characterisation118

7.7.1Air118

7.7.2Water118

7.7.3Sediment118

7.7.4Soil119

8.Human health hazard assessment120

8.1Kinetics and metabolism120

8.1.1Absorption120

8.1.2Distribution120

8.1.3Metabolism121

8.1.4Elimination and excretion122

8.1.5Dermal absorption123

8.2Effects on laboratory mammals and other test systems124

8.2.1Acute toxicity124

8.2.2Skin and eye irritation126

8.2.3Sensitisation128

8.2.4Repeat dose toxicity130

8.2.5Genotoxicity136

8.2.6Carcinogenicity138

8.2.7Reproductive toxicity139

8.2.8Other effects147

8.3Effects on human health155

8.4Regulatory classifications based on hazard156

8.4.1Physicochemical hazards156

8.4.2Health hazards156

9.Environmental hazard assessment165

9.1Avian toxicity166

9.2Aquatic toxicity167

9.2.1Toxicity to fish167

9.2.2Toxicity to aquatic invertebrates168

9.2.3Toxicity to algae / aquatic plants169

9.2.4Sediment dwelling organisms170

9.2.5Toxicity to microorganisms170

9.3Terrestrial toxicity170

9.3.1Soil microorganisms170

9.3.2Plants171

9.3.3Earthworms171

9.4Toxicity via the atmosphere171

9.5Toxicity through endocrine disruption171

9.6PNEC derivation173

9.6.1PNECaquatic174

9.6.2PNECsediment174

9.6.3PNECsoil176

9.7Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic assessment of HBCD176

9.7.1PBT criteria177

9.7.2Conclusions182

10.Human health risk characterisation183

10.1Critical health effects183

10.2Public health risk estimates185

10.3Occupational health risk estimates188

10.3.1Risk from physicochemical hazards188

10.3.2Acute risks due to occupational exposure188

10.3.3Chronic risks due to occupational exposure188

10.3.4Risk estimates for specific occupations192

10.4Uncertainties in occupational risk assessment193

10.5Conclusions194

11.Environmental risk characterisation195

11.1Introduction195

11.2Statement of uncertainties195

11.3Environmental risk estimates196

11.3.1Aquatic196

11.3.2Sediment196

11.3.3Terrestrial197

11.3.4Atmosphere197

11.4Options to refine PEC and PNEC198

11.4.1Refinement of PEC198

11.4.2Refinement of PNEC198

12.Current risk management200

12.1Human health risk management200

12.1.1Occupational health and safety200

12.1.2Public health regulations203

12.2Current environmental risk management203

Appendix 1 Classification under the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals206

Appendix 2 - Sample Material Safety Data Sheet for hexabromocyclododecane208

Appendix 3 Detailed calculations used in public exposure estimates214

Appendix 4 Experimental data considered for environmental assessment of HBCD219

A4.1Environmental fate220

A4.1.1Biodegradation220

A4.1.2Biotransformation238

A4.1.3Bioaccumulation239

A4.1.4Measured levels in biota250

Australian data250

International data250

A4.1.5Monitoring data260

Australian data260

International data260

A4.2Effects on other organism