Soft and sour: The challenge of setting environmental quality standards for bioavailable metal concentration in Fennoscandinavian freshwaters

Hoppe, Sabina; Garmo, Øyvind Aaberg; Leppänen, Matti T.; Borg, H.; Ndungù, Kuria

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2015.07.007

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The occurrence of extreme natural water conditions (e.g., unusual pH, hardness, DOC levels, or combinations thereof) is a common reality for almost all geographical regions. These situations have been recognized in working with BLMs (Van Genderen et al 2005;Natale et al 2007;Hoppe et al 2015aHoppe et al , 2015b and pose a common challenge in terms of bioavailability model development and application for regulatory criteria. There are various reasons for this.…”

Section: Dealing With Extreme Watersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metal Bioavailability Models: Current Status, Lessons Learned, Considerations for Regulatory Use, and the Path Forward

Mebane

Chowdhury²,

Schamphelaere

et al. 2019

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Since the early 2000s, biotic ligand models and related constructs have been a dominant paradigm for risk assessment of aqueous metals in the environment. We critically review 1) the evidence for the mechanistic approach underlying metal bioavailability models; 2) considerations for the use and refinement of bioavailability-based toxicity models; 3) considerations for the incorporation of metal bioavailability models into environmental quality standards; and 4) some consensus recommendations for developing or applying metal bioavailability models. We note that models developed to date have been particularly challenged to accurately incorporate pH effects because they are unique with multiple possible mechanisms. As such, we doubt it is ever appropriate to lump algae/plant and animal bioavailability models; however, it is often reasonable to lump bioavailability models for animals, although aquatic insects may be an exception. Other recommendations include that data generated for model development should consider equilibrium conditions in exposure designs, including food items in combined waterborne-dietary matched chronic exposures. Some potentially important toxicity-modifying factors are currently not represented in bioavailability models and have received insufficient attention in toxicity testing. Temperature is probably of foremost importance; phosphate is likely important in plant and algae models. Acclimation may result in predictions that err on the side of protection. Striking a balance between comprehensive, mechanistically sound models and simplified approaches is a challenge. If empirical bioavailability tools such as multiple-linear regression models and look-up tables are employed in criteria, they should always be informed qualitatively and quantitatively by mechanistic models. If bioavailability models are to be used in environmental regulation, ongoing support and availability for use of the models in the public domain are essential.

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Section: Dealing With Extreme Watersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metal Bioavailability Models: Current Status, Lessons Learned, Considerations for Regulatory Use, and the Path Forward

Mebane

Chowdhury²,

Schamphelaere

et al. 2019

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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“…High water color is related to high DOC concentrations , but Fe concentration has also been shown to affect water color . Dissolved organic carbon reduces metal bioavailability and thus toxicity by complexing metal ions . In the present study, Cr occurred at approximately equal concentrations in the mine‐impacted and the reference sites.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

Assessing ecotoxicity of biomining effluents in stream ecosystems by in situ invertebrate bioassays: A case study in Talvivaara, Finland

Salmelin¹,

Leppänen

Karjalainen³

et al. 2016

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Mining of sulfide-rich pyritic ores produces acid mine drainage waters and has induced major ecological problems in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Biomining utilizes microbes to extract metals from the ore, and it has been suggested as a new sustainable way to produce metals. However, little is known of the potential ecotoxicological effects of biomining. In the present study, biomining impacts were assessed using survival and behavioral responses of aquatic macroinvertebrates at in situ exposures in streams. The authors used an impedance conversion technique to measure quantitatively in situ behavioral responses of larvae of the regionally common mayfly, Heptagenia dalecarlica, to discharges from the Talvivaara mine (Sotkamo, Northern Finland), which uses a biomining technique. Behavioral responses measured in 3 mine-impacted streams were compared with those measured in 3 reference streams. In addition, 3-d survival of the mayfly larvae and the oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus was measured in the study sites. Biomining impacts on stream water quality included increased concentrations of sulfur, sulfate, and metals, especially manganese, cadmium, zinc, sodium, and calcium. Survival of the invertebrates in the short term was not affected by the mine effluents. In contrast, apparent behavioral changes in mayfly larvae were detected, but these responses were not consistent among sites, which may reflect differing natural water chemistry of the study sites. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:147-155. © 2016 SETAC.

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“…For example, lab bioassays often use standardized aqueous media, which does not capture the full range of variability in water chemistry conditions likely to be encountered in the environment. The bioavailability and toxicity of pollutants in aquatic ecosystems can be highly dependent on physicochemical parameters like pH, alkalinity, and dissolved organic carbon. − In addition, only a small number of species are used routinely for laboratory toxicity testing, to allow for ease of comparison among studies. Care must be taken when extrapolating results based on a few species to whole communities and ecosystems, as sometimes even closely related species may have very different ecological tolerances. , There is also increased complexity in a natural ecosystem compared to a controlled laboratory setting due to ecological interactions (e.g., competition, food web interactions) and confounding stressors (e.g., climate change) .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paleo-ecotoxicology: What Can Lake Sediments Tell Us about Ecosystem Responses to Environmental Pollutants?

Korosi

Thienpont

Smol

et al. 2017

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The development of effective risk reduction strategies for aquatic pollutants requires a comprehensive understanding of toxic impacts on ecosystems. Classical toxicological studies are effective for characterizing pollutant impacts on biota in a controlled, simplified environment. Nonetheless, it is well-acknowledged that predictions based on the results of these studies must be tested over the long-term in a natural ecosystem setting to account for increased complexity and multiple stressors. Paleolimnology (the study of lake sediment cores to reconstruct environmental change) can address many key knowledge gaps. When used as part of a weight-of-evidence framework with more traditional approaches in ecotoxicology, it can facilitate rapid advances in our understanding of the chronic effects of pollutants on ecosystems in an environmentally realistic, multistressor context. Paleolimnology played a central role in the Acid Rain debates, as it was instrumental in demonstrating industrial emissions caused acidification of lakes and associated ecosystem-wide impacts. "Resurrection Ecology" (hatching dormant resting eggs deposited in the past) records evolutionary responses of populations to chronic pollutant exposure. With recent technological advances (e.g., geochemistry, genomic approaches), combined with an emerging paleo-ecotoxicological framework that leverages strengths across multiple disciplines, paleolimnology will continue to provide valuable insights into the most pressing questions in ecotoxicology.

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Soft and sour: The challenge of setting environmental quality standards for bioavailable metal concentration in Fennoscandinavian freshwaters

Cited by 3 publications

References 23 publications

Metal Bioavailability Models: Current Status, Lessons Learned, Considerations for Regulatory Use, and the Path Forward

Metal Bioavailability Models: Current Status, Lessons Learned, Considerations for Regulatory Use, and the Path Forward

Assessing ecotoxicity of biomining effluents in stream ecosystems by in situ invertebrate bioassays: A case study in Talvivaara, Finland

Paleo-ecotoxicology: What Can Lake Sediments Tell Us about Ecosystem Responses to Environmental Pollutants?

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