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Table 69: Summary of oral reference health standards for pentachlorophenol as a non-threshold contaminant, used by different international agencies
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| Jurisdiction | Acceptable risk level1 |
Guideline value (µg/L)2 |
Risk-specific dose (μg/kg bw/day) |
Cancer slope factor (per mg/kg bw/day) |
Key study3 |
Critical effects3 |
Basis of value2 |
Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Zealand |
10–5 |
– |
0.083 |
0.12 |
Not stated |
Cancer |
US EPA (1993) |
MfE and MoH (1997) |
New Zealand drinking water |
10–5 |
9 |
0.26 |
0.039 |
Not stated |
Cancer |
WHO (2003) |
MoH (2005) |
WHO – drinking water |
10–5 |
9 |
0.26 |
0.039 |
NTP, 1989 |
Cancer |
Based on multistage modelling of tumour incidence in the US NTP bioassay, without incorporation of a body surface area correction, although recognising that there are interspecies differences in metabolism, the concentration of PCP associated with a 10–5 excess lifetime cancer risk is similar to the current guideline value |
WHO (2003) |
California EPA |
10–6 |
– |
0.625 |
0.016 |
NTP, 1989 |
Haemangiosarcomas in female mice |
Upper-bound (95% upper confidence limit) estimate of cancer potency determined using linearised multistage model and cross-species scaling for partially purified PCP |
Goodman et al (1998) |
US EPA – IRIS, R6, R9 |
10–6 |
– |
0.0083 |
0.12 |
NTP, 1989 |
Liver tumours, pheochromocytomas and haemangiosarcomas in female mice |
Geometric mean of slope factors (upper bound-estimates) calculated for two PCP formulations using combined data on three types of tumours, multistage model and cross-species scaling |
US EPA (1993) |
1 Where the acceptable risk level for a given jurisdiction is not 10–5, the risk-specific dose for a risk of 10–5 is shown in square brackets.
2 Where a guideline value is provided, the risk-specific dose has been derived assuming consumption of 2 L per day by a 70-kg adult.
3 As reported in the reference cited in the reference column.
