Canadian Council of Ministers
of the Environment

Le Conseil canadien des ministres
de l'environnement

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Benzene


CASRN: 71432
Parameter 1: ORGANIC
Parameter 2: Monocyclic aromatic compounds

Water Quality for the Protection of Aquatic Life

Further documentation on these guidelines can be found in the Canadian Environment Quality Guidelines.
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Freshwater

Concentration (µg/L)

370

Interim guideline.

The technical document for the guideline is available from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

Substance has been re-evaluated since CCREM 1987 + Appendixes. Either a new guideline has been derived or insufficient data existed to derive a new guideline.

Date

1999

Marine

Concentration (µg/L)

110

Interim guideline.

The technical document for the guideline is available from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

Date

1999

Water Quality for the Protection of Agriculture

Irrigation

Concentration (µg/L)

No data

Date

No data

Livestock

Concentration (µg/L)

No data

Date

No data

Sediment Quality for the Protection of Aquatic Life

Freshwater

Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) - ISQG

No data

Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) - PEL

No data

Date

No data

Marine

Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) - ISQG

No data

Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) - PEL

No data

Date

No data

Soil Quality for the Protection of Environmental and Human Health

Further documentation on these guidelines can be found in the Canadian Environment Quality Guidelines.
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Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) - Agricultural

Table
Guideline Coarse Fine
Benzene (mg/kg)    
10-5 Incremental Risk – Surface (≤1.5m) 0.030 0.0068
10-5 Incremental Risk – Subsoil (>1.5m) 0.030 0.0068
10-6 Incremental Risk – Surface (≤1.5m) 0.0095 0.0068
10-6 Incremental Risk – Subsoil (>1.5m) 0.011 0.0068

Notes:
Data are sufficient and adequate to calculate a Soil Quality Guideline for Human Health (SQGHH) and a Soil Quality Guideline for Environmental health (SQGE). Therefore the soil quality guideline is the lower of the two and represents a fully integrated and de novo guideline for this land use.
This guideline value may be less than the common limit of detection in some jurisdictions. Contact jurisdictions for guidance.
Free-phase formation, a circumstance deemed unacceptable by many jurisdictions, occurs when a substance exceeds its solubility limit in soil water. The concentration at which this occurs is dependent on a number of factors, including soil texture, porosity, and aeration porosity. Under the assumptions used for this guideline, at concentrations greater than 910 mg·kg-1 in coarse soil, or 910 mg·kg-1 in fine soil, formation of free-phase benzene will likely occur. Contact jurisdiction for guidance.

Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) - Residential / parkland

Table
Guideline Coarse Fine
Benzene (mg/kg)    
10-5 Incremental Risk – Surface (≤1.5m) 0.030 0.0068
10-5 Incremental Risk – Subsoil (>1.5m) 0.030 0.0068
10-6 Incremental Risk – Surface (≤1.5m) 0.0095 0.0068
10-6 Incremental Risk – Subsoil (>1.5m) 0.011 0.0068

Notes:
Data are sufficient and adequate to calculate a Soil Quality Guideline for Human Health (SQGHH) and a Soil Quality Guideline for Environmental health (SQGE). Therefore the soil quality guideline is the lower of the two and represents a fully integrated and de novo guideline for this land use.
This guideline value may be less than the common limit of detection in some jurisdictions. Contact jurisdictions for guidance.

Free-phase formation, a circumstance deemed unacceptable by many jurisdictions, occurs when a substance exceeds its solubility limit in soil water. The concentration at which this occurs is dependent on a number of factors, including soil texture, porosity, and aeration porosity. Under the assumptions used for this guideline, at concentrations greater than 910 mg·kg-1 in coarse soil, or 910 mg·kg-1 in fine soil, formation of free-phase benzene will likely occur. Contact jurisdiction for guidance.

Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) - Commercial

Table
Guideline Coarse Fine
Benzene (mg/kg)    
10-5 Incremental Risk – Surface (≤1.5m) 0.030 0.0068
10-5 Incremental Risk – Subsoil (>1.5m) 0.030 0.0068
10-6 Incremental Risk – Surface (≤1.5m) 0.030 0.0068
10-6 Incremental Risk – Subsoil (>1.5m) 0.030 0.0068

Notes:
Data are sufficient and adequate to calculate a Soil Quality Guideline for Human Health (SQGHH) and a Soil Quality Guideline for Environmental health (SQGE). Therefore the soil quality guideline is the lower of the two and represents a fully integrated and de novo guideline for this land use.
This guideline value may be less than the common limit of detection in some jurisdictions. Contact jurisdictions for guidance.

Free-phase formation, a circumstance deemed unacceptable by many jurisdictions, occurs when a substance exceeds its solubility limit in soil water. The concentration at which this occurs is dependent on a number of factors, including soil texture, porosity, and aeration porosity. Under the assumptions used for this guideline, at concentrations greater than 910 mg·kg-1 in coarse soil, or 910 mg·kg-1 in fine soil, formation of free-phase benzene will likely occur. Contact jurisdiction for guidance.

Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) - Industrial

Table
Guideline Coarse Fine
Benzene (mg/kg)    
10-5 Incremental Risk – Surface (≤1.5m) 0.030 0.0068
10-5 Incremental Risk – Subsoil (>1.5m) 0.030 0.0068
10-6 Incremental Risk – Surface (≤1.5m) 0.030 0.0068
10-6 Incremental Risk – Subsoil (>1.5m) 0.030 0.0068

Notes:
Data are sufficient and adequate to calculate a Soil Quality Guideline for Human Health (SQGHH) and a Soil Quality Guideline for Environmental health (SQGE). Therefore the soil quality guideline is the lower of the two and represents a fully integrated and de novo guideline for this land use.
This guideline value may be less than the common limit of detection in some jurisdictions. Contact jurisdictions for guidance.

Free-phase formation, a circumstance deemed unacceptable by many jurisdictions, occurs when a substance exceeds its solubility limit in soil water. The concentration at which this occurs is dependent on a number of factors, including soil texture, porosity, and aeration porosity. Under the assumptions used for this guideline, at concentrations greater than 910 mg·kg-1 in coarse soil, or 910 mg·kg-1 in fine soil, formation of free-phase benzene will likely occur. Contact jurisdiction for guidance.

Date

2004

Tissue Residue Quality for the Protection of Widlife Consumer of Aquatic Biota

Concentration (µg/kg diet wet weight)

No data

Date

No data