EU risk assessment guidelines

Regional PECs (Potential Environmental Concentrations) calculated with the software EUSES were compared with measured values using different emission and environmental distribution scenarios. The environmental data set recommended in EUSES (default data set) represents a generic standard region. In different scenarios the parameters of the generic region are replaced by concrete values, and estimated parameters (emissions, degradation rates and partition coefficients) are substituted by measured or investigated values. Deviations with regard to the measured values can be up to three orders of magnitude. Despite the basically conservative approximations, underestimations can occur. However, these are usually due to poor monitoring data or inappropriate input values. The use of regional data instead of default parameters only slightly ameliorates the results. The use of real emission and degradation rates alone can improve the results significantly.