Recommended exposure limits for polychlorinated biphenyls in soils and sediments, for the protection of ecosystems

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soils or sediments can pose a hazard to biotic communities. For proper management of the risk involved, recommended exposure limits based on ecotoxicological research are required for these organochlorine compounds. Since they form the basis for standard setting, these recommended exposure limits also provide a basis for decisions concerning measures to be taken in cases of soil pollution. The RIVM (National Institute of Public Health and the Environment) has developed a new method for deriving recommended exposure limits for PCBs in soils and sediments. On 15 March 2000, the Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment requested the Health Council’s opinion regarding this new method. A Health Council committee has reported its findings in the present advisory report.

Committee

• Dr M van den Berg, Professor of environmental toxicology; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht, chairman
• Dr JJM Bedaux, statistician; Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
• Dr AC Belfroid, ecotoxicologist; Royal Haskoning, Rotterdam (until 1-1-2002)
• Dr JP Boon, ecotoxicologist; Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Den Burg
• Dr NW van den Brink, ecotoxicologist; Alterra, Wageningen
• Dr N van der Hoeven, biostatistician; ECOSTAT, Leiden
• Dr SM Schrap, environmental chemist; Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Water Treatment (RIZA), Lelystad
• Dr MEJ van der Weiden, Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM), The Hague, consultant
• Dr HFG van Dijk, Health Council, The Hague, scientific secretary