Ambient bioassays for assessing water-quality conditions in receiving streams
Short-term EPA-approved tests with fish, aquatic invertebrates or algae can be used to estimate the acute or chronic toxicity of effluent and can be used to assess water-quality conditions in streams or rivers that receive pollutants from industry or municipal or agricultural areas. These methods also can be used to assess water quality in receiving streams. However, in effluent testing, the key objective is to determine how toxic an effluent is; in ambient testing, the main objective usually is that of determining if the water at a site is toxic. Specific case-study examples are provided demonstrating the kinds of information that can be extracted from ambient toxicity testing by use of different statistical methods. Examples also are given supporting the idea that an effective ambient testing program should be long-term, and contain a diagnostic-testing component analogous to the toxicity identification procedures used to supplement effluent-testing programs. Recommendations derived as {open_quotes}lessons learned{close_quotes} from large-scale ambient toxicity testing programs for receiving streams at Department of Energy facilities include: (1) testing more frequently with one species (preferably Ceriodaphnia) generally is more effective than testing less frequently with two or more species; (2) use five or more sites per test period, plus two or more reference sites, whenever possible; (3) use four to six test periods per year; and (4) use diagnostic testing to supplement the ambient-testing program. Rapid growth in need for ecological risk assessments outstrips the rate at which new test procedures are approved for regulatory purposes. Laboratory tests for estimating possible environmental impacts of toxic or disruptive pollutants are likely to be used more frequently, not less frequently, during the next decade.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 50903
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9406323-1; ON: DE95010218; TRN: 95:003941
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 3. annual workshop on industrial ecology, Wood Hole, MA (United States), 25-26 Jun 1994; Other Information: PBD: [1995]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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