The ecotoxicity testing of chemicals for prospective environmental safety assessment is an area where a high number of vertebrates are used across a variety of industry sectors. Refining, reducing and replacing the use of animals such as fish, birds and amphibians for this purpose addresses the ethical concerns and the increasing legislative requirements to consider alternative test methods. ...
There is currently a variety of applications for multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), but considerable concerns exist regarding their release into the environment. Their potential accumulation by aquatic organisms could lead to a transfer throughout food chains. Considering the divergences in experimental data published on ecotoxicity of carbon nanotubes, further research is required. The ...
The Inter-Governmental Ecotoxicological Testing Group (IGETG) is an ad hoc group of government scientists, technologists, data users, and scientific advisors that has been active in the development and application of ecotoxicological testing in Canada. Membership includes representatives from government laboratories that conduct toxicity testing for research and development purposes, monitor ...
To assess nickel (Ni) toxicity and behavior in freshwater sediments, a large‐scale laboratory and field sediment testing program was conducted. The program used an integrative testing strategy to generate scientifically based threshold values for Ni in sediments and to develop integrated equilibrium‐partitioning based bioavailability models for assessing risks of Ni to benthic ecosystems. The ...
The uptake and toxicity of two poly(methylmethacrylate)‐based plastic nanoparticles (PNPs) with different surface chemistries (medium and hydrophobic) was assessed using aquatic organisms selected for their relevance based on the environmental behaviour of the PNPs. Pure poly(methylmethacrylate) (medium; PMMA PNPs) and poly(methylmethacrylate‐co‐stearylmethacrylate) copolymer (hydrophobic; ...
Abstract : Aquatic microbiotests were selected and evaluated for their potential usefulness in measuring ecotoxicity in monitoring programs. In comparison with conventional aquatic ecotoxicity test methods they have the advantage of a shorter exposure period, a smaller test volume and (for many of them) the independence of culturing/maintenance of live stocks of test biota. The microbiotests ...
Toxicokinetic–toxicodynamic (TKTD) modeling offers many advantages in the analysis of ecotoxicity test data. Calibration of TKTD models, however, places different demands on test design compared with classical concentration–response approaches. In the present study, useful complementary information is provided regarding test design for TKTD modeling. A case study is presented for the pond ...
Data set of ecotoxicity testing in relevant treatment processes and additionally of two emerging contaminants Micropollutants – trace organic contaminants occurring at ng/L concentrations or even below – attract more and more attention because of their potential impact on aquatic ecosystems. Thousands of different chemicals are introduced in the aquatic environment on trace levels ...
Standard ecotoxicity tests are conducted under constant and favorable experimental conditions. In natural communities, however, the toxicity of chemicals may be influenced by abiotic and biotic environmental factors. Firstly, the authors examined the influence of temperature and total food concentration on the nature of the combined effects of copper (Cu) and the cyanobacterium Microcystis ...
We discuss herein the importance of selected natural abiotic and biotic factors in ecological risk assessment based on simplistic laboratory bioassays. Although it is impossible to include all possible natural factors in standard lower‐tier ecotoxicological testing, neglecting them is not an option. Therefore, we try to identify the most important factors and advocate re‐designing standard ...
At the beginning of January, I attended a three-day SETAC “summer-school” entitled ‘The synthesis, characterisation, ecotoxicity, and hazard and risk assessment of engineered nanoparticles’. The workshop was run in the School of Biomedical and Biological Sciences at Plymouth University. Attendees, from across Europe and even North and South America, represented a range of ...
Abstract : Aquatic microbiotests were selected and evaluated for their potential usefulness in measuring ecotoxicity in monitoring programs. Microbiotests are tests with aquatic invertebrates that demand a shorter exposure period and a smaller test volume than conventional aquatic ecotoxicity test methods. Microbiotests evaluated were the Thamnotox F test, the Rotox F test, the Algaltoxkit F ...
Organisms in the environment experience fluctuating, pulsed, or intermittent exposure to pollutants. Accounting for effects of such exposures is an important challenge for environmental risk assessment, particularly given the simplified design of standard ecotoxicity tests. Dynamic simulation using toxicokinetic‐toxicodynamic (TK‐TD) models describes the processes that link exposure with ...
Abstract :The Resource Management Act 1991, of New Zealand, requires local authorities and industry to apply for consent to discharge effluent to water or land. The requirement for whole effluent toxicity testing is now being included in these Resource Consents. The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) has encouraged research which evaluates technology used to monitor environmental parameters (e.g. ...
Soil leaching has been proposed as a way to reduce soil‐spiking artefacts (i.e., increased acidity, metal solubility) that occur in soils amended with trace metal salts. Leaching metal‐spiked samples prior to ecotoxicity testing is therefore expected to reduce toxicity, however, leaching not only removes excess amounts of the trace metal being tested, but also reduces the concentrations of ...
Soil contaminant concentration limits for the protection of terrestrial plants and soil invertebrates are commonly based on thresholds derived using data from laboratory ecotoxicity tests. A comprehensive assessment has been made for the derivation of Ecological Soil Screening Levels (Eco‐SSL) in the United States of America (USA); however, these limits are conservative because of their focus ...
Leaching metal‐spiked samples has been proposed as a means to reduce the artifacts of the spiking procedure (e.g., salt effect, increased metal solubility) that can artificially increase metal bioaccessibility and toxicity in laboratory ecotoxicity tests. The effects on soil chemistry from leaching Cu‐spiked samples were investigated by comparing chemistries of freshly spiked samples to samples ...
To meet the requirements of risk assessment legislature regarding the ecotoxicity of ionizing compounds, the present study attempts to establish easy, robust methods for testing ecotoxicity at various pH levels. An overview is given of the buffering methods in the literature. This is supplemented by a series of experiments where toxicity and ability to stabilize pH of eight common buffering ...
The synopsis is available for the June 6-7, 2016, U.S.-European Union (EU) Nano Environmental and Health Safety (NanoEHS) Research Efforts joint workshop. According to the synopsis, the first day of the workshop was devoted to an interactive nanoEHS scrimmage in which the groups collectively responded to a spill of a hypothetical nanotechnology-enabled product. U.S.-EU Communities of Research ...
Pulp and paper mill effluents represent a challenge when treatment technologies are considered, not only to reduce organic matter, but also to reduce the toxicological effects. Although anaerobic treatment has shown promising results, as well as advantages when compared with an aerobic system, this process alone is not sufficient to reduce recalcitrant compounds. Thus, an advanced oxidation ...