Recommended Uses of Empirically Derived, Sediment Quality Guidelines for Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems

The sediment quality guideline, ERL, is not a chemical concentration at the threshold of sediment toxicity

“…Nonetheless, their overall assessment of sediment contamination in the region was based on the percentage of sediment samples with any chemical concentration above an ERL. Long and MacDonald (1998) improved the predictability of ERMs by introducing the idea of basing predictions on multiple exceedances. They concluded that with 6-10 ERM exceedances the probability of a sample's being toxic to amphipods would exceed 50%.…”

Distribution and contamination pattern of heavy metals from surface sediments in the southern part of Caspian Sea, Iran

“…Concentrations of the metals studied were compared to the SQG of the effect range low (ERL: lower 10th percentile of the effects data) and the effect range median (ERM: the median, 50th percentile of the effects data) in marine and estuarine sediments. [22] For chemical concentrations of less than the ERL, rare adverse biological effects are expected. For those between the ERL and ERM, occasionally adverse biological effects are expected and for concentrations higher than the ERM, frequently adverse effects are expected.…”

“…For those between the ERL and ERM, occasionally adverse biological effects are expected and for concentrations higher than the ERM, frequently adverse effects are expected. [22] Individual and global contamination factors…”

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“…Numerical sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) have been developed using a variety of approaches, typically involving statistical comparisons of chemical concentrations and measures of adverse biological effects upon exposure to sediments (Long and MacDonald, 1998).This guidline was used correctly classifying sediments as either toxic or nontoxic. Two sets of SQGs developed for marine and estuarine ecosystems (MacDonald et al, 1996;Long and MacDonald, 1998).…”