Decamethyltetrasiloxane

Endpoint summary

Additional information

Collection and analysis (for L4) of surface sediments and select biota from the aquatic food web was carried out as part of a 5-year monitoring programme for cyclic volatile methylsiloxane (cVMS) materials in the aquatic ecosystem. The data in Tables 4.2.3 and 4.2.4 are a summary of environmental monitoring data on L4, including studies from the first three years of this programme in two locations: Lake Ontario, Canada, and Lake Pepin, USA, the first two years of the programme in Oslo Fjord, Norway and from year one of the programme in Tokyo Bay..

L4 is present as an impurity and widely used in commercial products (e.g., personal care products). The main route of entry into the aquatic environment is via wastewater treatment plant effluents. Analytical measurement of trace levels of L4 in environmental samples is difficult due to its physical properties and uses, which can inadvertently lead to significant sample contamination. L4 is used in personal care products. Environmental samples can become compromised during all stages of field and laboratory work including sample collection, processing, extraction, and analysis. The environmental monitoring programmes reported here incorporate the use of rigorous protocols strictly prohibiting the use of personal care products by all field and laboratory personnel involved, as well as avoiding equipment containing silicone-based materials. This has led to lower analytical backgrounds, reduced potential for contamination, and thus greater confidence in the environmental monitoring results.

 

Table 4.2.3. Measured concentrations of L4 in sediment

Location	Sampling year	N (number of sample locations)	L4[1]	Comment	Reference
Sediment			(ng/g dw)
Canada, Lake Ontario	2011	5	<MDL	Sediment collected from locations within Hamilton Harbour (which receives WWTP effluent) and the main deep-water basin. Measured concentrations of L4 in sediment were below the MDL in all samples (LOD 7.8 ng, MDL 0.66 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013b)
Canada, Lake Ontario	2012	5	<MDL	Sediment collected from locations within Hamilton Harbour (which receives WWTP effluent) and the main deep-water basin. Measured concentrations of L4 in sediment were below the MDL in all samples (LOD 4.1 ng, MDL 0.75 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2014b)
Canada, Lake Ontario	2013	5	<MDL	Sediment collected from locations within Hamilton Harbour (which receives WWTP effluent) and the main deep-water basin. Measured concentrations of L4 in sediment were below the MDL in all samples (LOD 3.5 ng, MDL 0.96 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015a)
USA, Lake Pepin,	2011	12	<MDL	Measured concentrations of L4 in surface sediment were below the MDL in all samples (LOD 7.8 ng, MDL 0.66 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013a)
USA, Lake Pepin,	2012	13	<MDL	Measured concentrations of L4 in surface sediment were below the MDL in all samples (LOD 4.1 ng, MDL 0.75 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2014a)
USA, Lake Pepin	2013	13	Not detected	No quantifiable concentrations of L4 were found (LOD 3.5 ng, MDL 0.96 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015b)
Norway, Oslo Fjord	2011	25	Not detected	Mean measured concentrations of L4 were below the method detection limit in all sampled matrices. (LOD 3.1 ng, MDL 0.81 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Evonik (2015)
Norway, Oslo Fjord	2012	25	Not detected	Mean measured concentrations of L4 were below the method detection limit in all sampled matrices (LOD 1.3 ng, MDL 0.71 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Evonik (2016)
Japan, Tokyo Bay	2014	20	<MDL	Measured concentrations of L4 in surface sediment were below the MDL in all samples (LOQ 0.30 ng, MDL 0.10 ng/g ww).	SIAJ, 2015

 

Table 4.2.4 Measured concentrations of L4 in biota

Description of samples	Sampling year	N (number of samples analysed)	L4^1	Comment	Reference
Biota			(ng/g ww)
USA, Lake Pepin Zooplankton Mayfly larvae Gizzard shad Sauger	2011	4 5 11 20	Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected	L4 not present at detectable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices (LOD 14.7 ng, MDL 1.78 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013a)
USA, Lake Pepin Mayfly larvae Gizzard shad Sauger Walleye	2012	8 7 21 20	<MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL	Measured concentrations of L4 were below the MDL in all sampled matrices (LOD 6.8 ng, MDL 1.39 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013c)
USA, Lake Pepin Zooplankton Mayfly larvae Gizzard shad Sauger	2013	8 8 10 20	Not detected Not detected <MDL Not detected	Measured concentrations of L4 were below the MDL in all sampled matrices (LOD 6.4 ng, MDL 1.3 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015b)
Canada, Lake Ontario   Mysid shrimp Round goby Rainbow smelt Alewife Lake trout	2011	4 12 9 5 19	Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected	L4 not present at detectable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices (LOD 14.7 ng, MDL 1.78 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2013b)
Canada, Lake Ontario Mysid shrimp Round goby Rainbow smelt Alewife Lake trout	2012	5 12 3 7 20	Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected	L4 not present at quantifiable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices (LOD 6.8 ng, MDL 1.39 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2014)
Canada, Lake Ontario Mysid shrimp Round goby Rainbow smelt Alewife Lake trout	2013	3 11 5 7 15	Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected Not detected	L4 not present at quantifiable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices. LOD 6.4 ng, MDL 1.3 ng/g ww. Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Dow Corning Corporation (2015a)
Norway, Oslo Fjord Cod Herring Shrimp	2011	16 5 5	<MDL <MDL Not detected	Mean measured concentrations of L4 were below the MDL in all sampled matrices (LOD 4.2 ng, MDL 0.73 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Evonik (2015)
Norway, Oslo Fjord Cod Herring Shrimp	2012	20 20 6	<MDL <MDL Not detected	L4 not present at quantifiable concentrations in any of the sampled matrices (LOD 1.8 ng, MDL 1.78 ng/g ww). Specific prohibition of PCP during collection, processing, or analysis of samples	Evonik (2016)
Japan, Tokyo Bay Japanese sea bass White croaker Japanese scaled sardine Red barracuda Japanese anchovy	2014	9 9 4 9 9	<MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL	Measured concentrations of L4 were below the MDL in all sampled matrices (LOQ 3.0 ng, MDL 1.0 ng/g ww).	SIAJ (2015)

¹'Not detected' indicates that no peak discernible from baseline was observed in the analysis.