Regional differences in chemical fate model outcome.

The fate of anthropogenic substances in the environment is increasingly determined using multimedia mass balance models. It is, therefore, critical to fully understand how such models work and what their limitations are. The effects of uncertainty and variation in the chemical properties, discharges, and landscape parameters on model outcome have been examined by other researchers. Here, the role of landscape properties in controlling region-to-region differences in chemical fate is examined. Specifically, regions of Canada and the ChemCAN model are used to explore the region-to-region difference in fate for benzo[a]pyrene, hexachlorobenzene, tetrachloroethylene, alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane, 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 52), and atrazine emitted individually to air, water, and soil. To facilitate the same analysis in other places a description of the model and the methods for obtaining the landscape parameters used here are given. Differences in fate are the unique result of combining the input parameters of chemical properties, emission data, and landscape parameters. While region-to-region differences are small compared to the chemical-to-chemical differences that may span many orders of magnitude for physical-chemical or degradation properties, chemical fate is not the same for regions of differing landscape parameters. It is therefore concluded that the quality of results obtained from regional environmental fate models can be improved by the use of region-specific landscape parameters.

[1]  Frank Wania,et al.  Global chemical fate of α‐hexachlorocyclohexane. 2. Use of a global distribution model for mass balancing, source apportionment, and trend prediction , 1999 .

[2]  Frank Wania,et al.  The Importance of Snow Scavenging of Polychlorinated Biphenyl and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Vapors , 1999 .

[3]  A. F. Agnew,et al.  Perspectives on water : uses and abuses , 1988 .

[4]  Antonio Di Guardo,et al.  Assessment of chemical fate in the environment using evaluative, regional and local‐scale models: Illustrative application to chlorobenzene and linear alkylbenzene sulfonates , 1996 .

[5]  D. Connell,et al.  PAHs, PCDD/Fs, PCBs and HCB in leaves from Brisbane, Australia. , 2001, Chemosphere.

[6]  Wout Slob,et al.  Uncertainty Analysis in Multiplicative Models , 1994 .

[7]  W. Booty,et al.  Application of a fugacity model for assessing chemical fate in ecodistricts of southern Ontario , 1996 .

[8]  Thomas E. McKone,et al.  Influential input classification in probabilistic multimedia models , 2001 .

[9]  Frank Wania,et al.  Evaluating environmental persistence , 1998 .

[10]  L. Poissant,et al.  EVALUATION AND APPLICATION OF A FUGACITY MODEL TO EXPLAIN THE PARTITIONING OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER VALLEY , 1997 .

[11]  M. McLachlan.  Framework for the Interpretation of Measurements of SOCs in Plants , 1999 .

[12]  F. Bertrand,et al.  Currents of change: Final report, Inquiry on Federal Water Policy , 1985 .

[13]  D. Mackay,et al.  Correlating environmental partitioning properties of organic compounds: The three solubility approach , 2000 .

[14]  William E. Kastenberg,et al.  A multimedia, multiple pathway risk assessment of atrazine: the impact of age differentiated exposure including joint uncertainty and variability , 1999 .

[15]  D van de Meent,et al.  Priority assessment of toxic substances in life cycle assessment. Part II: assessing parameter uncertainty and human variability in the calculation of toxicity potentials. , 2000, Chemosphere.

[16]  Eco,et al.  Uncertainty Analysis of the Uniform System for the Evaluation of Substances (USES): Example Calculations , 1995 .

[17]  R. Hites,et al.  OH reaction kinetics of gas-phase α- and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane and hexachlorobenzene , 1998 .

[18]  J. Devillers,et al.  Evaluating the environmental fate of lindane in France , 1996 .

[19]  D Mackay,et al.  An assessment of the environmental fate and exposure of benzene and the chlorobenzenes in Canada. , 1999, Chemosphere.

[20]  Antonio Finizio,et al.  Octanol-air partition coefficient as a predictor of partitioning of semi-volatile organic chemicals to aerosols , 1997 .

[21]  Michael Matthies,et al.  Selecting internally consistent physicochemical properties of organic compounds , 2002, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[22]  Edgar G. Hertwich,et al.  Parameter Uncertainty and Variability In Evaluative Fate and Exposure Models , 1999, Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis.

[23]  M. Huijbregts,et al.  Geographical scenario uncertainty in generic fate and exposure factors of toxic pollutants for life-cycle impact assessment. , 2003, Chemosphere.

[24]  Matthew MacLeod,et al.  Evaluating and expressing the propagation of uncertainty in chemical fate and bioaccumulation models , 2002, Environmental toxicology and chemistry.

[25]  C. E. Cowan,et al.  The Multi-Media Fate Model: A Vital Tool for Predicting the Fate of Chemicals, , 1995 .

[26]  D. Mackay,et al.  Strategies for including vegetation compartments in multimedia models. , 2001, Chemosphere.

[27]  Antonio Di Guardo,et al.  Assessing the fate of new and existing chemicals: A five‐stage process , 1996 .

[28]  J. Devillers,et al.  CHEMFRANCE: a regional level III fugacity model applied to France , 1995 .

[29]  Frank Wania,et al.  Global chemical fate of α‐hexachlorocyclohexane. 1. Evaluation of a global distribution model , 1999 .

[30]  Antonio Di Guardo,et al.  Evaluating the environmental fate of a variety of types of chemicals using the EQC model , 1996 .

[31]  Ralph Kühne,et al.  Error propagation in fugacity level‐III models in the case of uncertain physicochemical compound properties , 1997 .

[32]  M. McLachlan,et al.  Interspecies Variability of the Plant/Air Partitioning of Polychlorinated Biphenyls , 1997 .

[33]  W. Shiu,et al.  Generic models for evaluating the regional fate of chemicals , 1992 .

[34]  J Devillers,et al.  European Union System for the Evaluation of Substances (EUSES). Principles and structure. , 1997, Chemosphere.

[35]  J. Devillers,et al.  Evaluating the environmental fate of atrazine in France , 1996 .