Marine Toxicity Data Requirements

The product and active substance data requirements under the BPD are detailed in Tables 1-4 and 7. In addition to these data requirements, it is also important to consider the data requirements outlined in the TGDs (2003) where in some case, further data requirements have now been identified, especially in the area of sediment toxicity and marine ecotoxicity. 

The composition and behaviors of ions in saltwater fish are totally different from those in freshwater fish because saltwater fish are always exposed to an inflow of ions into their bodies. The toxicity tests using saltwater fish species are required to consider the conservation of aquatic organisms in the marine area. However, a model saltwater fish species has not been established as yet. It will be crucial to collect the data of toxicity tests using saltwater fish species. 

If data on a sufficient number and diversity of organisms are available, a final chronic value for a particular toxicant may be calculated in the same way that final acute values are determined. In practice, however, there are seldom sufficient data to allow a direct graphical estimation of the toxicant concentration that would exert a chronic stress on no more than 5% of the species in the system. In such cases an acute toxicity standard is established on the basis of an adequate amount of short-term toxicity tests, and an average acute/chronic toxicity ratio is then calculated on the basis of a smaller amount of information. The rationale for this procedure is that for a given pollutant the acute/chronic ratio is likely to be more constant between species than is the chronic or sublethal stress level itself Hence less information is required to estimate the acute/chronic ratio. The chronic toxicity standard is established by dividing the acute toxicity standard by the so-called final acute/chronic ratio. The EPA considers this procedure acceptable if acute/chronic ratios are available for at least three species and (a) at least one of the species is a fish, (b) at least one is an invertebrate, and (c) at least one is an acutely sensitive fi eshwater species or saltwater species when the ratio is being used to establish freshwater or marine criteria, respectively. 

The on-line monitoring of the concentrations of toxic metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury in industrial effluents, river water, drinking water, lake water and marine water has become an important aspect of environmental control. Ideally, in any on-line system for monitoring of industrial effluents which flow into the environment, the sampling, chemical treatment to remove interferences (if required), data manipulation, data reporting and all other necessary operations are completely automated. In the present era of chemical instrumentation, normally this means that all operations from the start of the experiment (sampling) to preparation of the final report are under microprocessor control. 

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