Site-specific ecological risk

Rutgers, M. (2000). Site-specific ecological risks a basic approach to the function-specific assessment of soil pollution, ISBN 9073270448, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 

Schouten AJ, Bogte JJ, Driven van Breemen EM, Rutgers M. 2003. Site specific ecological risk assessment application of the TRIAD approach. Part 2. No. 722701032. Bilthoven (The Netherlands) National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 90 p. 

De Zwart D, Rutgers M, Notenboom J. 1998. Assessment of site-specific ecological risks of soil contamination a design of an assessment methodology. Report nr 711701011. Bilthoven (NL) National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). 

Mesman M, Rutgers M, Peijnenburg WJGM, Bogte JJ, Dirven-Van Breemen ME, De Zwart D, Posthuma L, Schouten AJ. 2003. Site-specific ecological risk assessment the Triad approach in practice. In Conference proceedings of CONSOIL 8th International FKZ/TNO Conference on Contaminated Soil, Ghent (BE), May 12-16, 2003. p 649-656. 

Rutgers, M., Faber, J., Postma, J. and Eijsackers, H. (2000) Site-specific Ecological Risks a Basic Approach to the Function-specific Assessment of Soil Pollution, vol. 28. Integrated Soil Research Programme, Wageningen. 

The first section explains the concepts of EIA and RA and the existing approaches to their integration. This is followed by an analysis of the current situation with ecological input into EIA and discussion on how the formal EcoRA framework provides for site-specific ecosystem risk assessment. The subsequent section reviews the CLL approach and its applicability for assessing ecological effects in EIA. Finally, a model for assessment of ecosystem risks within EIA using the CLL approach is proposed. 

Hall, L.W.J., Giddings, J.M., 2000. The need for multiple lines of evidence for predicting site-specific ecological effects. Human Ecol. Risk Assess. 6, 679-710. 

A crucial factor in a risk assessment is the quality of the reference data, because the results of the site-specific ecological measurements or calculations are... 

The ecological risk module allows users to perform benchmark screenings for surface water, sediment, soil, and biota. Accompanying the ecological risk module is a database of benchmarks and other information that are supported and updated on the SADA web site. Benchmarks are adjusted for site-specific physical parameters as appropriate. 

Loibner A, Jensen J, Ter Laak T, Celis R, Hartnik T (2006) In Jensen J, Mesman M (eds) Ecological risk assessment of contaminated land decision support for site specific investigations. RIVM report 711701047. Bilthoven, The Netherlands, p 19... 

Ecological risk assessment in EIA is to evaluate the probability that adverse ecological effects will occur as a result of exposure to stressors2 related to a proposed development and the magnitude of these adverse effects (Smrchek and Zeeman, 1998 US EPA, 1998 Demidova, 2002). A lion s share of site-specific EcoRAs were concerned with chemical stressors—industrial chemicals and pesticides. 

In most cases, evaluations of ecological impacts are site-specific and, as a consequence, are not considered when establishing a generally applicable waste classification system. These impacts normally are addressed in disposal site selection, design, and operation, and they may be used in establishing waste acceptance criteria for the site. To the extent that ecological impacts can be evaluated generi-cally, NCRP believes that the principles and framework for risk-based waste classification presented in this Report are sufficiently flexible to take them into account. 

Since ecological receptors vary from site to site, ecological risk-based concentrations are usually calculated on a project-specific basis. For human receptors, there are... 

GIS may also be used to assess the site-specific bioavailability of toxicants and their ecological risks. For example, Prusha and Clements (2004) related metal concentrations in the lotic insect Arctopsyche grandis to physicochemical characteristics measured in 16 streams. GIS was used to calculate landscape attributes in... 

Tier 4 includes all methods that go beyond CA or RA and attempt to provide some kind of mechanistic explanation for the mixture effects, including potential interactions between the mixture components. It requires detailed information on the toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic processes involved. The diversity of models that belong to this category is huge. Examples from human mixture assessment include the application of PBPK and BRN models. In ecological risk assessment, it may involve the consideration of multiple modes of action per mixture component as well as the assumed characteristics of sets of receptor species. Therefore, tier 4 methods only apply to problems that are defined in a very specific way (regarding site, species, compounds), and where an accurate result is preferred over a conservative one. 

The first phase of the framework is problem formulation. Problem formulation includes a preliminary characterization of exposure and effects, as well as examination of scientific data and data needs, policy and regulatory issues, and site-specific factors to define the feasibility, scope, and objectives for the ecological risk assessment. The level of detail and the information that will be needed to complete the assessment also are determined. This systematic planning phase is proposed because ecological risk assessments often address the... 

At the site management level, risks to human health and ecological resources are identified on a site-specific basis and appropriate protective measures are implemented in the timeframe necessary to prevent unsafe conditions. Key steps in the risk management effort for each contaminated site include ... 

Risk Assessment Determine the potential for adverse impacts to human health or ecological resources based on a site-specific evaluation of contaminant toxicity and the potential for exposure based on applicable transport mechanisms and receptors. 

Reference soil was collected in a reference site in Elorence (Italy). Real soil samples were collected in the Associated National Chemical Companies (ACNA) site (Cengio, SV, Italy). ACNA is a closed organic chemical industrial factory active since 1882 with the production of explosives (nitroglycerin, dynamite, and trinitrotoluene), paints, nitric and sulphuric acids, phenols, and amines, with serious levels of contamination of soil and surface waters, where a remediation and bonification plan started in 1999. The serious enviromnental contamination of this area determined its inclusion in the list of national priorities for enviromnental reclamation. The sampling was performed from the soil layers (0-30 cm) in a specific ACNA site, called hill n°5, on March 2003. The hill was made of waste from the industry accumulated during the years and was divided into four zones zone 1 with low contamination level zone 2 with pseudoreference zone 3 with moderate pollution level, and zone 4 with high ecological risk. 

For example, assume that a pond is contaminated with metals. One goal of the ecological risk assessment is to identify if a known sensitive aquatic species (e.g., freshwater shrimp) is impacted by the concentrations of metals in the pond. This shrimp is a source of food for predatory fish in the pond, and therefore its abundance is linked to the health of the community. Literature values could be used to identify safe concentrations of metals for various species, but not for the specific one of interest at our site. These could be used and extrapolated to the target species, which introduces uncertainty into the results. Alternatively, water and/or sediment from the site could be brought into the laboratory and the species of interest could be directly tested for toxicity. These studies are known as bioassays. Results of bioassays are used to develop a protective concentration relevant to the species and site of interest. 

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