Pollution threat of heavy metals in aquatic environments

Book · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6077520

Mance, G

Over the last twenty five years, the publication of water quality standards for heavy metals has rapidly increased worldwide. The development of environmental legislation by the European Community has highlighted the need for water quality standards. Such standards cannot be used without a clear understanding of the supporting research material and their intended application. In both laboratory and field studies, it is important that the weaknesses and limitations of the available techniques are recognised. This book reviews the status of water quality standards on the basis of toxicity data, field studies and the use of environmental standards for effluent control. Toxicity tests are reviewed and their common failings identified. The scientifically accepted data are summarized in extensive tables for individual metals for freshwater fish, invertebrates and marine organisms. Evaluation of this data indicates that some previously accepted generalisations about the toxicity of metals to aquatic life are invalid. Field studies are also reviewed and the results of these are combined with the laboratory data in order to identify safe concentrations. The merits and limitations of the various statistical procedures used to determine these concentrations are defined and discussed with reference to the application of standards in pollution control.

• OSTI ID: 6077520
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
COMMON MARKET
CONTROL
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
FISHES
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
INVERTEBRATES
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
POLLUTANTS
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
REGULATIONS
REVIEWS
SAFETY STANDARDS
STANDARDS
SURFACE WATERS
TESTING
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
WATER QUALITY