Simulating behavior of petroleum compounds during refinery effluent treatment using the SimpleTreat model

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Data of 'Petroleum refinery effluent contribution to chemical mixture toxic pressure in the environment'

In our paper ‘Petroleum refinery effluent contribution to chemical mixture toxic pressure in the environment’ (submitted), we developed a generic methodology to assess the petroleum refinery effluent (PRE) contribution to mixture toxic pressure in the environment, using the multi-substance potentially affected fraction of species (msPAF) as an indicator. Based on measured chemical concentrations, compiled species sensitivity distributions (SSD) and dilution factors, msPAF levels were estimated for undiluted effluents at discharge points and diluted effluents downstream in receiving waters. Regardless of differences in endpoints and locations, hydrocarbons (mainly total petroleum hydrocarbons) and inorganics (mainly ammonia) explained at least 85% of the mixture toxic pressure. The msPAF levels of PREs were on average 2.5-4.5 orders of magnitude lower than background levels, suggesting that PREs were minor contributors to the toxic pressure in the environment. This dataset contains data on estimated msPAF levels for different refinery effluents (present study) and estimated background msPAF levels in the corresponding basin calculated by Posthuma et al. (2019)

Data of 'Petroleum refinery effluent contribution to chemical mixture toxic pressure in the environment'

In our paper ‘Petroleum refinery effluent contribution to chemical mixture toxic pressure in the environment’ (submitted), we developed a generic methodology to assess the petroleum refinery effluent (PRE) contribution to mixture toxic pressure in the environment, using the multi-substance potentially affected fraction of species (msPAF) as an indicator. Based on measured chemical concentrations, compiled species sensitivity distributions (SSD) and dilution factors, msPAF levels were estimated for undiluted effluents at discharge points and diluted effluents downstream in receiving waters. Regardless of differences in endpoints and locations, hydrocarbons (mainly total petroleum hydrocarbons) and inorganics (mainly ammonia) explained at least 85% of the mixture toxic pressure. The msPAF levels of PREs were on average 2.5-4.5 orders of magnitude lower than background levels, suggesting that PREs were minor contributors to the toxic pressure in the environment. This dataset contains data on estimated msPAF levels for different refinery effluents (present study) and estimated background msPAF levels in the corresponding basin calculated by Posthuma et al. (2019)

Moving persistence assessments into the 21st century: A role for weight-of-evidence and overall persistence

Assessing the persistence of chemicals in the environment is a key element in existing regulatory frameworks to protect human health and ecosystems. Persistence in the environment depends on many fate processes, including abiotic and biotic transformations and physical partitioning, which depend on substances' physicochemical properties and environmental conditions. A main challenge in persistence assessment is that existing frameworks rely on simplistic and reductionist evaluation schemes that may lead substances to be falsely assessed as persistent or the other way around—to be falsely assessed as nonpersistent. Those evaluation schemes typically assess persistence against degradation half-lives determined in single-compartment simulation tests or against degradation levels measured in stringent screening tests. Most of the available test methods, however, do not apply to all types of substances, especially substances that are poorly soluble, complex in composition, highly sorptive, or volatile. In addition, the currently applied half-life criteria are derived mainly from a few legacy persistent organic pollutants, which do not represent the large diversity of substances entering the environment. Persistence assessment would undoubtedly benefit from the development of more flexible and holistic evaluation schemes including new concepts and methods. A weight-of-evidence (WoE) approach incorporating multiple influencing factors is needed to account for chemical fate and transformation in the whole environment so as to assess overall persistence. The present paper's aim is to begin to develop an integrated assessment framework that combines multimedia approaches to organize and interpret data using a clear WoE approach to allow for a more consistent, transparent, and thorough assessment of persistence. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;00:1–20

Moving persistence assessments into the 21st century: A role for weight-of-evidence and overall persistence

Assessing the persistence of chemicals in the environment is a key element in existing regulatory frameworks to protect human health and ecosystems. Persistence in the environment depends on many fate processes, including abiotic and biotic transformations and physical partitioning, which depend on substances' physicochemical properties and environmental conditions. A main challenge in persistence assessment is that existing frameworks rely on simplistic and reductionist evaluation schemes that may lead substances to be falsely assessed as persistent or the other way around—to be falsely assessed as nonpersistent. Those evaluation schemes typically assess persistence against degradation half-lives determined in single-compartment simulation tests or against degradation levels measured in stringent screening tests. Most of the available test methods, however, do not apply to all types of substances, especially substances that are poorly soluble, complex in composition, highly sorptive, or volatile. In addition, the currently applied half-life criteria are derived mainly from a few legacy persistent organic pollutants, which do not represent the large diversity of substances entering the environment. Persistence assessment would undoubtedly benefit from the development of more flexible and holistic evaluation schemes including new concepts and methods. A weight-of-evidence (WoE) approach incorporating multiple influencing factors is needed to account for chemical fate and transformation in the whole environment so as to assess overall persistence. The present paper's aim is to begin to develop an integrated assessment framework that combines multimedia approaches to organize and interpret data using a clear WoE approach to allow for a more consistent, transparent, and thorough assessment of persistence. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;00:1–20