Scientists from Environment Canada’s S&T Branch and Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency participated in an international workshop January 8-10, 2013, designed to address key scientific needs for assessing the potential for commercial chemicals to bioaccumulate in terrestrial ecosystems. New and existing chemicals, such as those being investigated under the Chemicals Management Plan, can be released to soil directly or indirectly through vectors such as the application of sewage sludges containing persistent compounds. Unlike aquatic ecosystems, however, bioaccumulation in terrestrial systems has been much less studied, resulting in considerable uncertainty when assessing exposures in terrestrial systems. At the workshop, modelling, laboratory and field experts from academia, governments and industry provided recommendations on approaches and tools that are currently available for regulatory assessment and those requiring further development. One of the main outcomes was an agreement on the structure of a “default” terrestrial food-web structure that can be used for further modelling, laboratory and field research. Key workshop outcomes will form the basis for research project planning under HESI. A workshop report is pending and will be available online shortly.

Contact:  Mark Bonnell, (819) 994-5845, Science and Risk Assessment Directorate