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      Bioaccumulation in aquatic systems: methodological approaches, monitoring and assessment

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          Abstract

          Bioaccumulation, the accumulation of a chemical in an organism relative to its level in the ambient medium, is of major environmental concern. Thus, monitoring chemical concentrations in biota are widely and increasingly used for assessing the chemical status of aquatic ecosystems. In this paper, various scientific and regulatory aspects of bioaccumulation in aquatic systems and the relevant critical issues are discussed. Monitoring chemical concentrations in biota can be used for compliance checking with regulatory directives, for identification of chemical sources or event-related environmental risk assessment. Assessing bioaccumulation in the field is challenging since many factors have to be considered that can affect the accumulation of a chemical in an organism. Passive sampling can complement biota monitoring since samplers with standardised partition properties can be used over a wide temporal and geographical range. Bioaccumulation is also assessed for regulation of chemicals of environmental concern whereby mainly data from laboratory studies on fish bioaccumulation are used. Field data can, however, provide additional important information for regulators. Strategies for bioaccumulation assessment still need to be harmonised for different regulations and groups of chemicals. To create awareness for critical issues and to mutually benefit from technical expertise and scientific findings, communication between risk assessment and monitoring communities needs to be improved. Scientists can support the establishment of new monitoring programs for bioaccumulation, e.g. in the frame of the amended European Environmental Quality Standard Directive.

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          Most cited references32

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          In situspeciation measurements of trace components in natural waters using thin-film gels

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            Polymer-water partition coefficients of hydrophobic compounds for passive sampling: application of cosolvent models for validation.

            Polymer-water partition coefficients (Kpw) of hexachlorobenzene, 41 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 26 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined for low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and five different silicone rubbers. Partition coefficients were determined in ultra pure water and in a range of methanol-water mixtures. Different cosolvent models for the effect of methanol concentration on the polymer-mixture partition coefficient (Kpm) were used to validate the Kpw in pure water. Linear regression of logKpm against the mole fraction (x) methanol over range 0 < x < 0.3 yielded the best results. The obtained logKpws were best described by a correlation with molecular weight, for PCBs in combination with the fraction of chlorine atoms in the meta and para positions (standard deviations of approximately 0.08 log units). Correlations with logKow were less good (standard deviations of approximately 0.21 log units), partly as a result of uncertainties in the logKow estimates that were used. Similar Kpws were found for different batches of silicone rubber from the same supplier. Differences in logKpws for silicone rubbers obtained from different suppliers ranged from 0.16-0.58.
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              Passive sampling methods for contaminated sediments: Scientific rationale supporting use of freely dissolved concentrations

              Passive sampling methods (PSMs) allow the quantification of the freely dissolved concentration (C free) of an organic contaminant even in complex matrices such as sediments. C free is directly related to a contaminant's chemical activity, which drives spontaneous processes including diffusive uptake into benthic organisms and exchange with the overlying water column. Consequently, C free provides a more relevant dose metric than total sediment concentration. Recent developments in PSMs have significantly improved our ability to reliably measure even very low levels of C free. Application of PSMs in sediments is preferably conducted in the equilibrium regime, where freely dissolved concentrations in the sediment are well-linked to the measured concentration in the sampler via analyte-specific partition ratios. The equilibrium condition can then be assured by measuring a time series or a single time point using passive samplers with different surface to volume ratios. Sampling in the kinetic regime is also possible and generally involves the application of performance reference compounds for the calibration. Based on previous research on hydrophobic organic contaminants, it is concluded that C free allows a direct assessment of 1) contaminant exchange and equilibrium status between sediment and overlying water, 2) benthic bioaccumulation, and 3) potential toxicity to benthic organisms. Thus, the use of PSMs to measure C free provides an improved basis for the mechanistic understanding of fate and transport processes in sediments and has the potential to significantly improve risk assessment and management of contaminated sediments. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2014;10:197–209. © 2014 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                sabine.schaefer@bafg.de
                georgia.buchmeier@lfu.bayern.de
                claus@bafg.de
                duester@bafg.de
                heininger@bafg.de
                andrea.koerner@uba.de
                philm@env.dtu.dk
                albrecht.paschke@ufz.de
                caren.rauert@uba.de
                reifferscheid@bafg.de
                heinz.ruedel@ime.fraunhofer.de
                christian.schlechtriem@ime.fraunhofer.de
                christa.schroeter-kermani@uba.de
                dieter.schudoma@uba.de
                foppe.smedes@deltares.nl
                dieter.steffen@nlwkn-hi.niedersachsen.de
                friederike.vietoris@mkulnv.nrw.de
                Journal
                Environ Sci Eur
                Environ Sci Eur
                Environmental Sciences Europe
                Springer Berlin Heidelberg (Berlin/Heidelberg )
                2190-4707
                2190-4715
                27 January 2015
                27 January 2015
                2015
                : 27
                : 1
                : 5
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Department of Qualitative Hydrology, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany
                [2 ]Department of Aquatic Toxicology, Pathology, Bavarian Environment Agency, Demollstr. 31, 82407 Wielenbach, Germany
                [3 ]German Federal Environment Agency, Am Wörlitzer Platz 1, 06844 Dessau, Germany
                [4 ]Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
                [5 ]Department of Ecological Chemistry, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
                [6 ]Department of the Environmental Specimen Bank and Elemental Analysis, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany
                [7 ]Department of Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany
                [8 ]Deltares, PO Box 85467, , 3508 AL Utrecht, The Netherlands
                [9 ]Masaryk University, Recetox, Kamenice 753/5-A29, 62 500 Brno, Czech Republic
                [10 ]Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency, An der Scharlake 39, 31135 Hildesheim, Germany
                [11 ]Department of Questions of Principle of Water Management, Water Quality of Surface and Ground Water, Water Supply, Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Schwannstraße 3, 40476 Düsseldorf, Germany
                Article
                36
                10.1186/s12302-014-0036-z
                5044975
                27752421
                03f5f59d-159f-4613-ad0a-5cd64a512454
                © Schäfer; licensee Springer. 2015

                This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited.

                History
                : 6 October 2014
                : 22 December 2014
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                © The Author(s) 2015

                ecotoxicology,environmental quality,monitoring,chemical assessment,environmental quality standards,water framework directive,passive sampling

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