An approach for modeling chemical exposure to and effects on high trophic level receptors
- PRC Environmental Management, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States)
An approach for modeling chemical exposure to and effects on high trophic level aquatic and terrestrial receptors (primary and secondary consumers) has been developed for use in ecological assessment of hazardous waste sites. The approach involves estimation of high and low daily chemical doses ingested from food and media by animal receptors using field measured contaminant concentrations in tissues of key prey species, natural history data, and site-specific data on chemical concentrations and site use by receptors. A range of assumptions is used to estimate relatively conservative (high) and less conservative (low) doses that are compared to low and high contaminant and receptor-specific toxicity reference values (TRV). These TRVs are derived from toxicological literature data modified using uncertainty factors and allometric conversion to arrive at chronic, no-effect level (low TRV) and chronic, low-effect level (high TRV) equivalents. Four hazard quotients (HQ) for each assessment endpoint and contaminant are calculated by dividing both the low and high doses by the low and high TRVS. The results of this approach can be used to predict the potential for adverse impacts to receptors from chemical exposure under different conditions. The most conservative HO (calculated from the high dose divided by the low TRV) and the least conservative HQ (calculated from the low dose divided by the high TRV) can be used to screen out the extremes of potential risk, identifying sites for no further action or for early feasibility study. The remaining HQs, representing a range of possible effects, can be evaluated with other data in a weight-of-evidence approach to identify sites needing further characterization.
- OSTI ID:
- 230897
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9623%%207
- 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
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