Draft Toxicological Intake Values for Priority Contaminants in Soil

This draft document presents recommendations for toxicological intake values for 14 priority contaminants in soil. Toxicological intake values describe a concentration at which substances might pose no appreciable risk or minimal risk to human health. Together with the Draft Methodology for Deriving Soil Guideline Values Protective of Human Health, this document serves as a technical reference in support of the Proposed National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil, and should be read in conjunction with it.

This document has been superseded by Toxicological Intake Values for Priority Contaminants in Soil.

Acknowledgements

This work was prepared as Landcare Research Contract Reports LC0708/129 and LC0809/101. We would like to thank Dr Jo-Anne Cavanagh for her extensive toxicological literature review and thorough draft recommendations on toxicological intake values for priority contaminants, and Dr Sim Ooi (Chadwick T&T, Australia) and Dr Peter DiMarco (Golder, Australia) for reviewing the draft reports.

Thanks to the members of the Toxicological Advisory Group (“ToxAG”), who considered and discussed the content and agreed on the final recommendations. The following people worked with Ministry staff to form the “ToxAG”: Natalia Foronda (Ministry of Health); Chris Geering and Jim Waters (Environmental Risk Management Authority); and John Reeve (New Zealand Food Safety Authority).

Thanks also to the following people, who participated in the “ToxAG” in a non-decision-making function: Graeme Proffitt (Pattle Delamore Partners); Nick Kim (Environment Waikato); and Gerald Rys (Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry).

Finally, thanks to Alistair Bingham (JCL Air and Environment) and Kerry Laing (Tonkin and Taylor) for providing data on dioxin concentrations in PCP formulations and soil in New Zealand.

Status of this document

This document serves as a technical reference in support of the Ministry for the Environment's Draft Methodology for Deriving Soil Guideline Values Protective of Human Health. Final versions of both documents will be published when work is completed on the National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil.

Comments are invited from suitably qualified persons on the content of this document, and in particular, the noting of any errors would be appreciated. Since this document is in draft form, changes may be made following the receipt of comments.

Please send comments by 19 April 2010, either electronically to cmlg@mfe.govt.nz, or by post to: Tox Values for Contaminants in Soil, Ministry for the Environment, PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143.

The Ministry contacts for further information are Howard Ellis and James Court, phone (04) 439 7400.