Wildlife toxicity extrapolations: Dose metric
- Ecological Planning and Toxicology, Inc., Corvallis, OR (United States)
- Univ. of Utrecht (Netherlands). Research Inst. of Toxicology
Ecotoxicological assessments must rely on the extrapolation of toxicity data from a few indicator species to many species of concern. Data are available from laboratory studies (e.g., quail, mallards, rainbow trout, fathead minnow) and some planned or serendipitous field studies of a broader, but by no means comprehensive, suite of species. Yet all ecological risk assessments begin with an estimate of risk based on information gleaned from the literature. One is then confronted with the necessity of extrapolating toxicity information from a limited number of indicator species to all organisms of interest. This is a particularly acute problem when trying to estimate hazards to wildlife in terrestrial systems as there is an extreme paucity of data for most chemicals in all but a handful of species. This section continues the debate by six panelists of the ``correct`` approach for determining wildlife toxicity thresholds by examining which dose metric to use for threshold determination and interspecific extrapolation, Since wild animals are exposed to environmental contaminants primarily through ingestion, should threshold values be expressed as amount of chemical in the diet (e.g., ppm) or as a body weight-adjusted dose (mg/kg/day)? Which of these two approaches is most relevant for ecological risk assessment decision making? Which is best for interspecific extrapolations? Converting from one metric to the other can compound uncertainty if the actual consumption rates of a species is unknown. How should this be dealt with? Is it of sufficient magnitude to be of concern?
- OSTI ID:
- 212014
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9617%%330
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Wildlife toxicity extrapolations: Measurement endpoints
Wildlife toxicity extrapolations: Allometry versus physiologically-based toxicokinetics