A model for environmental risk-assessment and standard setting based on biomagnification in terrestrial toppredators

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:37480

Jongbloed, R H; Luttik, R

A model was developed to estimate soil quality standards based on secondary poisoning of toppredators. Three trophic levels were considered: plants and invertebrates on the first, small birds and mammals on the second, and raptorial birds and beasts on the third trophic level. Six chemicals were selected: DDT, dieldrin, lindans, pentachlorophenol, cadmium and methyl mercury. The maximum permissible concentration of a chemical in the soil (MPC{sub soil}) was calculated with: MPC{sub soil} = NOEC{sub species of concern}/ BAF{sub food species of concern}. The BAF{sub food species of concern} is the bioaccumulation factor representing the ratio between concentration in the food of the species of concern and concentration in soil. The NOEC{sub species of concern} is the no-observed effect concentration of toppredators in the field estimated from laboratory toxicity data by application of several correction factors. Literature data were evaluated for five potentially important correction factors: caloric content and assimilation efficiency of food types, metabolic rate, pollutant assimilation efficiency and species sensitivity. BAFs and NOECs were treated as stochastic variables. It was demonstrated that species feeding on birds and small carnivorous mammals are to a higher extent exposed to contaminants than species feeding on herbivorous mammals. For highly lipophilic compounds attention should be paid to toppredators, whereas for other chemicals attention may be focused on worm-eating birds and mammals.

• OSTI ID: 37480
• Report Number(s): CONF-9410273--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CADMIUM
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CONTAMINATION
FOOD CHAINS
LAND POLLUTION
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATION
METHYLMERCURY
PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS
SOILS
STANDARDS