Whole-effluent assessment

Point and Diffuse Sources OSPAR Background Document Concerning the Elaboration of Programmes and Measures Relating to Whole Effluent Assessment. OSPAR Commission, London, UK, 2000. 

Tonkes, M., H. Pols, H. Warmer, and V. Bakker. 1998. Whole-effluent Assessment. RIZA Report 98.034. 1-20. Lelystad (Netherlands) Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Water Treatment (RIZA). 

Case study Whole effluent assessment using a combined biodegradation and toxicity approach... 

OSPAR (2004) OSPAR Demonstration Programme 2003 on Whole Effluent Assessment (WEA), OSPAR Commission SPDS 03/13/7-E, Annex 1. OSPAR Commission, London. 

Biological sui veys should be used together with whole-effluent and ambient toxicity testing, and chemical-specific analyses to assess the attainment/nonattainment of designated aquatic hfe uses in state water-quahty standards. ... 

Whole effluent toxicity test species are generally not the same as the resident species that the results of WET testing are aimed at protecting, particularly where nontemperate environments (e.g., tropical and Arctic environments) are concerned, or for estuaries [177]. Also, not all resident species have the same sensitivities to individual or combined contaminants in effluents. Further, differences exist between sensitivities and tolerances of WET species. Such differences are not unexpected hence, it is desirable to use more than one toxicity test organism and endpoint to assess effluent toxicity. 

Chapman, P.M. Whole effluent toxicity testing - usefulness, level of protection, and risk assessment. Envir. Toxicol. Chem. 2000, 19, 3-13. 

The United States is the leader as regards the integrated assessment of the quality of effluents introduced into aquatic environments. In 1984, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) introduced the notion of Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET). WET assays may involve the following samples 79... 

De Vlaming V, Connor V, DiGiorgio C, Bailey HC, Deanovic LA, Hinton DE. 2000. Application of whole-effluent toxicity test procedures to ambient water quality assessment. Environ Toxicol Chem 19 42-62. 

Whole mixture approach for unique mixtures. This is an option if dealing with a mixture of completely unknown or unique origin and composition. In this case, results of previous effect studies cannot be used to assess the effects of the mixture of concern. Determination of a safe concentration level or a dose-response relationship for these mixtures is inefficient, as the effect data cannot be reused to assess the risks of other mixtures. The mixture of concern has to be tested directly in the field or the laboratory, like in the whole effluent toxicity (WET) test, resulting in a direct indication of the potential effects. 

The current thinking is that whole effluent toxicity assessment provides a practical, biologically relevant mechanism for providing additional hazard data on the combined effects of all the contaminants present in a complex effluent. There is reasonable confidence that an appropriate set of acute, and to a lesser extent chronic, toxicity assessments exist that have been used in many countries over the past two decades. Consequently, there is guidance on limit conditions for... 

Smolders, R., Bervoets, L., Wepener, V. and Blust, R. (2003a) A conceptual framework for using mussels as biomonitors in whole effluent toxicity. Human Ecological Risk Assessment, 9, 741-760. 

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