Risks and management of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in

5,41

MB

Baltic Sea fish: An integrated assessment

321

stron

5066

ID

University of Helsinki

2004

rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Figures and Tables

Abbreviations

Foreword

Summary (Sammandrag, Yhteenveto)

1 Introduction

1.1 General background and historical importance of dioxin problems

1.2 Definitions and related methodological frameworks

1.2.1 Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds

1.2.2 Baltic Sea and related other areas

1.2.3 Risks and uncertainties

1.2.4 Risk assessment and risk management

1.3 Particular Baltic Sea fish relevance and issues

1.3.1 Dioxins in the Baltic Sea

1.3.2 Risk management by regulation of fish quality and fisheries

1.3.3 Defining policy-relevant risk and management analysis questions for Baltic Sea dioxins

1.3.4 The need for additional risk assessment and risk management analysis

1.4 Objectives and methodological approaches of the present work

1.4.1 Goals, objectives and scope

1.4.2 Approach and conduct

1.4.3 Structure of the report

Part A: Risk assessment

2 Hazard and risk identification and framing: agents, influences and contexts

2.1 Conceptualization of risk chains and contexts, and approaches to decision-relevant risk

identification

2.1.1 General considerations

2.1.2 Fish dioxin hazard and risk identification approaches

2.2 Dioxin-like compounds, their precursors and reaction products

2.2.1 Identification of dioxin-like compounds

2.2.2 Precursors and formation of dioxin-like compounds

2.3 Baltic Sea system compartments, processes and risk factors

2.3.1 System boundaries and interactions of the sea with land areas

2.3.2 Hydrography and ecology

2.3.3 Fishing, mariculture and other relevant technological processes

2.3.4 Dioxin fluxes to and from the sea

2.3.5 Processes affecting dioxin cycling and fate in the system

2.4 Dioxin receptors and risk groups in the Baltic Sea environment

2.4.1 Key organisms in food-chains accumulating dioxins

2.4.2 Particular risk groups

2.5 Fish consumption, other intakes and subsequent exposures

2.5.1 Exposure routes

2.5.2 Consumption of fish and other intakes of dioxins

2.5.3 From intakes to body burdens and internal exposures: Pharmacokinetics

2.6 Biological responses to dioxins and related stressors

2.6.1 Biochemical and biological basis of dioxin toxicity

2.6.2 Dimensions and continuums of responses

2.6.3 Effect profiles and receptor organisms

2.7 Compound-specific initial risk identification for in-depth assessment

2.8 Other risks and impacts of Baltic dioxins and fish, including indirect and social risks and

benefits

2.8.1 General

2.8.2 Health benefits associated with fish

2.8.3 Other impacts

2.9 Summary of risk dimensions and assessment areas and levels

3 Exposure assessment

3.1 Assessment principles and evaluation of the quality of information

3.1.1 General considerations

3.1.2 Data and models

3.2 Sources and emissions of dioxins to the Baltic Sea

3.2.1 Polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins and furans

3.2.2 Dioxin-like PCBs

3.2.3 Other dioxin-like compounds

3.3 Environmental transport and fate of dioxins in the Baltic Sea

3.3.1 Dioxin fluxes, cycling and transformation

3.3.2 Budgets of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in the Baltic Sea system

3.4 Environmental levels and trends, and body burdens in Baltic non-human receptors

3.4.1 Abiotic compartments

3.4.2 Biota

3.5 Human exposures to dioxins from the Baltic Sea as part of overall exposure

3.5.1 Consumption of fish and fish products and intakes of dioxins

3.5.2 Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion

3.5.3 Body burdens and contributions from fish

4 Effects assessment

4.1 Assessment principles and evaluation of the quality and relevance of information

4.1.1 General considerations

4.1.2 Weight of evidence and data quality

4.1.3 Approaches to effects assessment in the present work

4.2 Attributability of risks to causes and specification of the role of Baltic Sea fish dioxins

4.3 Effect types and levels, emphasizing human populations and experimental models

4.3.1 General considerations

4.3.2 Developmental and reproductive effects

4.3.3 Immune effects

4.3.4 Thyroid and other hormonal effects

4.3.5 Tumours and carcinogenic effects

4.3.6 Metabolic effects and other biological effects

4.3.7 Psychosomatic and non-biological effects in humans

4.3.8 Summarizing evaluation of human and experimental animal data

4.4 Dioxin-linked adverse effects in Baltic Sea dependent populations

4.4.1 General considerations and assessment approaches

4.4.2 Effects and effective exposure levels in Baltic Sea living and related species

4.4.3 Summarizing evaluation of dioxin-linked wildlife effects

4.5 Other biological effects of Baltic Sea fish, including beneficial health effects

4.5.1 Other adverse health effects of Baltic Sea fish

4.5.2 Health benefits from fish consumption

5 Risk and uncertainty characterization

5.1 Variations and qualities of risks associated with dioxins in Baltic Sea fish

5.1.1 Mixture effects and risks of various compounds

5.1.2 Variations and relations of risks among receptors

5.1.3 Temporal dimensions and variations of risks

5.1.4. Geographical dimensions and variations of risks

5.1.5 General qualities of effects and risks

5.2 Uncertainties of risks and benefits

5.2.1 Types, qualities and characteristics of uncertainties in risks and benefits

5.2.2 Quantification of uncertainties

5.3 Risk-risk and risk-benefit comparisons

5.3.1 General considerations

5.3.2 Risk-risk comparisons

5.3.3 Risks and benefits from human consumption of fatty sea fish

5.4 Tolerable intakes, allowable concentrations and other quantitative decision criteria

5.4.1 Basis and definition of TDIs and other measures of tolerable human intakes

5.4.2 Translating TDIs to allowable fish concentrations

5.4.3 Additional aspects of human health risk criteria

5.4.4 Ecotoxicological risk criteria

5.5 Summarizing characterization

Part B: Risk management analysis

6 Relevant international and regional policies and management procedures

6.1 Introduction and conceptualization

6.1.1 Policy contexts and contents

6.1.2 Policy approaches and principles

6.1.3 Policy levels and actors

6.2 International policies on POP's at the global level

6.3 European Community policies on dioxins and in other relevant areas

6.3.1 European chemical policies

6.3.2 European policies on POP's

6.3.3 European policies on health and food safety

6.3.4 European fisheries and marine policies

6.4 Baltic Sea cooperation on dioxins and related substances

6.5 National policies on dioxins

6.6 NGO interests in the Baltic Sea fish and dioxin issue

6.7 Framing the dioxin issue and implications of the multi-forum activities

7 Management options and measures, and initial evaluation of their potential

7.1 Defining and evaluating options along event chains and at various levels and scales

7.2 Measures before dioxin immission to the sea

7.2.1 Prevention of formation of dioxins and related compounds

7.2.2 Control of land-based emissions

7.2.3 Interception of transport to the sea

7.3 Measures in the sea

7.3.1 Control of emissions and fluxes in the sea

7.3.2 Reduction of dioxin pools in the sea

7.3.3 Biosteering of dioxin accumulation in marine food-chains

7.4 Measures on dioxin fluxes after removal from the sea (post-sea measures)

7.4.1 Reducing intakes by food advisories and other means of information steering

7.4.2 Reducing intakes by regulating fish marketing and by associated product labeling

7.4.3 Treating dioxin-laden fish and fish products

7.4.4 Exposure reduction by supplying surrogate diets and protection

7.4.5 Exposure reduction by increasing excretion through altered general diet