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Diss Factsheets

Ecotoxicological information

Sediment toxicity

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Description of key information

Data from a test on toxicity to sediment organisms from waste of slags, ferronickel-manufg. has shown no toxicity up to a load of 1000mg slag/kg sediment. The very low water solubility of Nickel and Chromium in the slags means that it is unlikely to be present in high concentrations and to transport to sediment organisms causing adverse effects. A series of oceanographic studies have not found evidence of toxicity on marine sediment organisms from acute or chronic exposure to ferronickel slags. These studies observe that possible disruption of the ecosystem may occur not due to toxicity towards the organisms but because of bulk quantities that may alter the sediment significantly.
In order to gather more solid evidence regarding the toxicity of the substance, it was attempted to identify possible adverse effects based on data for its recognised constituents, even though the results cannot be applied directly, due to the way the constituents are bound in the matrix of the substance and are not as bioavailable as the free substances that are examined.
There is a number of studies for Nickel sediment toxicity available, but they cannot provide robust information, in order to calculate a relative PNEC value for sediment.
A study on the effects of short-term exposure to Cr(III) in a river sediment has shown no concentration/response correlation (Becker et al). A conservative NOEC that was derived had a value of 1310mg Cr/kg soil dw.
Further study evaluation on long-term effects of slags, ferronickel-manufg. to both freshwater and marine sediment organisms is in progress and will be entered in the dossier as soon as it is finished. If, at the end of the evaluation it is decided that a study needs to be performed, a relevant testing proposal will be submitted to ECHA for approval.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information

Data from a test on toxicity to sediment organisms from waste of slags, ferronickel-manufg. has shown no toxicity up to a load of 1000mg slag/kg sediment. The very low water solubility of Nickel and Chromium in the slags means that it is unlikely to be present in high concentrations and to transport to sediment organisms causing adverse effects. A series of oceanographic studies have not found evidence of toxicity on marine sediment organisms from acute or chronic exposure to ferronickel slags. These studies observe that possible disruption of the ecosystem may occur not due to toxicity towards the organisms but because of bulk quantities that may alter the sediment significantly.

In order to gather more solid evidence regarding the toxicity of the substance, it was attempted to identify possible adverse effects based on data for its recognised constituents, even though the results cannot be applied directly, due to the way the constituents are bound in the matrix of the substance and are not as bioavailable as the free substances that are examined.

There is a number of studies for Nickel sediment toxicity available, but they cannot provide robust information, in order to calculate a relative PNEC value for sediment.

A study on the effects of short-term exposure to Cr(III) in a river sediment has shown no concentration/response correlation (Becker et al). A conservative NOEC that was derived had a value of 1310mg Cr/kg soil dw.

Further study evaluation on long-term effects of slags, ferronickel-manufg. to both freshwater and marine sediment organisms is in progress and will be entered in the dossier as soon as it is finished. If, at the end of the evaluation it is decided that a study needs to be performed, a relevant testing proposal will be submitted to ECHA for approval.