Ecological Risk Assessment

Nabarlek is a decommissioned uranium mine in the Northern Territory 270 km east of Darwin. The minesite was revegetated predominantly with native species in 1995, with the objective of achieving a 'self-sustaining woodland that blends in with the surrounding savannas'. The success of revegetation was assessed in the 2003 dry and 2004 wet seasons. The impact of weeds on vegetation composition and ecological function was investigated. Eleven grass weed species and 17 forb weed species were found in the wet season and comprised 48% of all species on mine sites with a ground cover of 55%. Only three weed species were found on adjacent natural reference sites. Species richness and abundance (% cover) of native ground cover plants were negatively correlated to richness and abundance of weeds. Weed abundance (% cover) decreased with increasing density of trees and shrubs. Grass biomass on the minesite was twice that of reference sites (5.0 cf. 2.5 t ha -1 ODW) in the late dry season, substantially increasing the risk of fire. Grasses on the minesite were mostly weeds such as mission grass (Pennisetum polystachion (L.) Schult. and Pennisetum pedicellatum Trin.), para grass (Urochloa mutica (Forssk.) T.Q.Nguyen) and Rhodes feather top (Chloris virgata Sw.). Woody seedlings were common on reference sites but none were found on mine sites. Weeds persist on the minesite because of the huge build up of a soil seedbank (mean 1518 weed seeds m -2 ) whereas reference sites has few weed seeds in the soil (5 m -2 ). Weeds had a major impact on vegetation composition and possibly on ecological function.

UAC 504.064.36
The textbook “Ecological Monitoring” is an auxiliary teaching guide for the specified academic discipline. It was prepared at the Institute of Hydrometeorology of the Georgian Technical University and the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy of the same university, taking into account the educational components of the given discipline.
It covers the results of anthropogenic impact on the natural environment, ways to solve ecological problems, and issues of environmental regulation of economic activity.
The specified textbook is intended for students and doctoral candidates of higher educational institutions interested in studying the principles and methods of ecological monitoring.
It will also be useful for a wide range of people interested in the problems of ecological monitoring.

ISBN 978-9941-8-1490-7 © HMI Publishing House, 2019, 264 p.

This is 1 of 4 papers reporting on the results of a SETAC technical workshop titled ''The Nexus Between Ecological Risk Assessment and Natural Resource Damage Assessment Under CERCLA: Understanding and Improving the Common Scientific Underpinnings,'' held 18-22 August 2008 in Montana, USA, to examine approaches to ecological risk assessment and natural resource damage assessment in US contaminated site cleanup legislation known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.

Although ionic liquids (ILs) hold salient features and considered as a replacement of conventional organic solvents, but their possible toxicological and ecotoxicological impacts must be considered equally in the design and development stage. Predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) plays a vital role in assessing the ecotoxicological hazards in the ILs. A systematic methodological framework is presented for assessing the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) of ionic liquids. Initially, an effect level is predicted with a general quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR). Secondly, predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) is calculated by using assessment factor (AF). The PEC is compared to the PNEC to characterize the risk for the freshwater aquatic organisms. If the ratio continued to exceed one, ionic liquids under investigation will need further aquatic risk assessment procedures, which involve iterative steps to refine the PEC and PNEC.

The extraction and processing of naturally occurring phosphate deposits have significantly intensified the mobilization of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), resulting in their pervasive release into the environment. Accordingly, this study investigated the environmental impact of phosphate mining at Sebaiya East area (Egypt), analyzing 24 surface sediment samples for PTEs via ICP-OES, supported by statistical analysis (descriptive and multivariate), pollution indices (individual, composite, and ecological), and health risk assessments (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic) to understand the release, distribution, accumulation, and geochemical behavior of contaminants. The median values of PTEs were lower than their maximum concentrations, highlighting localized hotspots. Cd’s average level consistently exceeded all geochemical reference values. The individual contamination grades, based on average Igeo and CF values, ranked as Cd > As > Cr > Ni > Zn > Cu > Pb. Samples showed overall contamination (mean PLI: 1.79, mean Cdeg: 20.45, mean PINemerow: 4.29), with 29.2% severely polluted (PLI > 2) and 37.5% highly contaminated (Cdeg ≥ 24), localized near mining activities. The mean RI value of 383.9 indicated a considerable ecological risk (300 < RI < 600) throughout the study area. Weak Pearson correlations observed for As and Cd with other PTEs indicated distinct geochemical behavior and anthropogenic origins. PCA revealed the mixed origin of Pb, Cu, Zn, As, and Ni in PC1 (weathering of local bedrock and diffuse deposition from mining activities) and the anthropogenic origin of Cd in PC2. Cr and As posed the highest carcinogenic (CR: 3.64E+02) and non-carcinogenic risks (HQ: 3.04E+05), respectively, exceeding safety thresholds.

A brief overview is given of a research program on environmental risks associated with offshore oil and gas industry discharges. The research has two major thrusts: development of environmental risk assessment and risk management methods, and development of underwater vehicle technology for scientific and monitoring missions. This paper focuses on the former. The project is a joint venture between the Ocean Engineering Research Centre at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Institute for Marine Dynamics of the National Research Council Canada, with the support of several Canadian companies and universities. This paper describes several elements of the project: (a) the development of a risk management methodology for drilling waste discharges in the marine environment, (b) development of a probabilistic hydrodynamic model and risk-based design procedure for produced water discharges, (c) performance characteristics of several candidate sensors for environmental effects monitoring, (d) laboratory investigation of the settling characteristics of drill cuttings, (e) evaluation of various offshore treatment technologies for drilling waste using multi-criteria decision-making, and (f) evaluation of air emissions associated with the offshore petroleum industry and environmental management practice to mitigate the impacts. The ultimate goal of the research is to integrate current and emerging scientific knowledge and technology with the goals of environmental protection and their associated costs in a holistic framework to guide decision-making under uncertainty.

This research study assessed the degree of contamination of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from soil matrices of Nigeria Maritime University premise. Soil samples were further sieved using a nylon sieve (<125µm diameter). The samples were prepared in triplicates. Reagent blanks were included to check contamination. Twenty-five top soil samples were collected and analysed for PTEs using FAAS. The pollution level in soils were assessed using pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk index (PERI). The mean values of the toxic elements in soil from the study area decreased in the order Cd < As < Fe < Pb < Co < Ni < Cu < Zn < Cr < Mn. The ranges were as follows: Cd (0.13-0.95 ppm); As (0.49-4.50 ppm); Fe (6.42-24.80 ppm); Pb (5.96-31.45 ppm); Co (2.93-51.80 ppm); Ni (4.27-82.48 ppm); Cu (7.42-84.90 ppm); Zn (9.10-184.36 ppm); Cr (29.80-234.00 ppm) and Mn (84.30-486.00 ppm). All the toxic elements were higher than crustal average values used as background values except Cr and Fe in some samples. Ni, As, Co and Cr were higher than FAO/WHO guidelines whereas only Cr was higher than EU standard in some soil samples. The PIs of Cu, Zn, Cd and Mn were within low to high contamination, Pb, Ni, Co, As and Cr were within low to middle contamination while Fe is categorized as low contamination. Pollution Load Index showed that the soil in the study area can be classified as unpolluted to moderately polluted and ranged from 0.28 to 2.76. The toxic elements showed Eir of <40 and indicated low ecological potential risk index except Cd, Co, Fe, As and Ni that showed low to moderate ecological potential risk. Cd contributed highest to the Ecological Risk (PERI) which ranged between 18.24 and 109.67 and indicated moderate risk.

Of the 27 pesticides monitored, only 19 were detected in Australian stormwater, five of which (diuron, MCPA, 2,4-D, simazine, and triclopyr) were found in > 50% of samples. Overall, stormwater pesticide concentrations were lower than reported in other countries (including the United States, Canada and Europe), and exceedances of public health and aquatic ecosystem standards were rare (< 10% of samples). Spatio-temporal patterns were investigated with principal component analysis. Although stormwater pesticide composition was relatively stable across seasons and years, it varied significantly by catchment. Common pesticide associations appear to reflect 1) user application of common registered formulations containing characteristic suites of active ingredients, and 2) pesticide fate properties (e.g., environmental mobility and persistence). Importantly, catchment-specific occurrence patterns provide opportunities for focusing treatment approaches or stormwater harvesting strategies.

Due to the ban on the use of organochlorines, resulting from environmental and public health concern, there has been a significant surge on the use of pyrethroid pesticides for agricultural purposes. This has necessitated a pilot study on organochlorine and pyrethroid residues in four maize plantations in southwest Nigeria. The composition distribution of pesticide residues in the sampling sites includes hexa-chlorocyclohexane, hexachlorobenzene, cyclodiene, methoxychlor, type I and II pyrethroids. The high concentration of total organochlorine pesticides (TOCPs) ranging from 22.082 to 28.370 µg/g, as well as type I and II pyrethroids ranging from 12.320 to 35.668 µg/g and 2.541 to 10.936 µg/g indicated the intense use of these pesticides for agricultural purpose. Additionally, health risk assessment revealed that the incremental life cancer risk for dermal, ingestion and inhalation according to age and gender followed a similar sequence of female seniors > female adults > male seniors > male adults > adolescents > children. Moreover, the non-carcinogenic hazard index for organochlorines and pyrethroids was less than 1, whereas the risk quotient for pyrethroids was higher than 1, except for deltamethrin in most of the sampling sites. Thus, assessment of organochlorine and pyrethroid residues is essential to facilitate pesticide control and promote sustainable soil management.

The assessment of the potentially harmful effects of metals on biota depends on the speciation and bioavailability of the metals. In the present study, the authors investigated Cu accumulation and toxicity in the aquatic plant Myriophyllum aquaticum after exposure to artificial sediments varying in peat or ferric hydroxide content and spiked with Cu (5–200 mg kg−1). Modeling of the kinetic diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT) measurements revealed fast and slow Cu resupply from the solid phase for sediment formulated with and without peat, respectively. Myriophyllum aquaticum proved to be sensitive to Cu, as the Cu accumulation and growth differed depending on the sediment composition and Cu concentration. Comparing the Cu accumulation in M. aquaticum with total dissolved concentration, free concentration, and concentration in solution derived from DGT measurements (CDGT), Cu concentrations revealed that CDGT concentrations were a better predictor of accumulation than the others. H...

Bee pollinators decline worldwide over the last decades mainly due to the widespread use of pesticides. However, the data on wild bee sensitivity to pesticides are scarce. As it may not be possible to stop using pesticides at the moment due to a growing food demand, we need to make every effort to ensure that they are used in a way that do not jeopardize pollinator populations. We tested the toxicity of three agrochemicals, namely Dursban 480 EC with chlorpyrifos as active ingredient (a.i.), Sherpa 100 EC (a.i. cypermethrin), and Mospilan 20 SP (a.i. acetamiprid), to female Osmia bicornis through oral and contact exposures. The estimated LC 50 s at infinite-time were lower than concentrations recommended for field application for Dursban in both exposure routes, whereas in case of Sherpa and Mospilan the values were lower for oral exposure only. Regardless of the exposure route, high mortality in less than 24 hours was observed in Dursban-treated bees at a fraction of concentration actually used by farmers in the field, indicating high toxicity of this product to O. bicornis. Therefore, some commonly used insecticides may cause unacceptable effects to pollinators even when applied in the field according to recommendations, indicating the urgent need for revising current pesticide usage regulations.

Soil contamination and the resulting ecological disturbances are a common phenomenon in mining areas, including the vicinities of the largest and oldest open-pit mining areas in Mongolia. In this work, the potential ecological risk index (RI), Nemerow integrated pollution index (PI N), and Geoaccumulation index (I geo) were used to estimate the level of soil contamination with Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cr, and Pb in the top layer of the soils around Baganuur coal mine and Erdenet copper-molybdenum mine. Three different analytical methods were

An ecological risk assessment framework for onsite wastewater treatment systems and other localized sources of nutrients is presented, including problem formulation, characterization of exposure, characterization of effects, and risk characterization. The framework is most pertinent to the spatial scale of residential treatment systems located adjacent to small ponds, streams, or lagoons and some parts of shallow estuaries. Freshwater and estuarine ecosystems are distinguished based on differences in nutrient dynamics. Phosphorus exposure is the major determinant of phytoplankton production in most North American lakes. Nitrate can be directly toxic to aquatic biota such as amphibians. In shallow estuaries or lagoons, nitrogen is the primary stressor, which can be directly toxic to vegetation or can interact with biota to produce secondary stressors (limited light penetration, oxygen limitation, reduction in habitat, or reduction in forage vegetation or prey). Algal production, macrophyte production, fish community abundance and production, benthic community abundance and production, and amphibian community abundance and production are examples of risk assessment endpoint properties. Models and measurement methods for the characterization of exposure and effects are discussed, as well as sources and quantification of uncertainty. Example weight-of-evidence

Restoration, as defined here, refers to actions that directly improve ecological services or other ecological properties, onsite or offsite (the term "mitigation" is sometimes used), in contrast to remediation, which focuses on chemical removal. Ecological restoration encompasses restoration, rehabilitation, replacement or acquisition of the equivalent, as defined by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (NOAA 1997).

The levels of Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in crude oil remediated soils in Khana LGA, Rivers State, in comparison with noncrude oil impacted soils which served as the control, was carried out in this study to ascertain the impact of the remediation exercise on soil quality. Eight composite soil samples from two different locations were randomly collected at 0-15cm and 15-30 cm depths using soil auger. The samples were air-dried, ground, sieved and analyzed using standard methods with GC-MS. The results showed TPH levels fell between 3.20876 and 17.51729 ppm at 0-15 cm depth and between 4.48214 and 7.03104 ppm at 15-30 cm depth. All the stations recorded TPH levels below the target and intervention limits. The total PAH levels at Stations 1 and 2 and the Control station were below the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) target and intervention values while Station 3 recorded total PAH level above the target value but below the intervention value. The results obtained revealed that the remediation exercise is efficient in restoring the soil quality. Therefore, the remediation work should be sustained.

This symposium brings together the theory and practice of public sociology. The introduction sets out the meanings of public sociology, emphasizing its plurality and its relation to multiple publics. From there it frames public sociology in relation to policy, professional and critical sociologies. This constellation of the division of sociological labor varies over time and between countries. Here we argue for a normative model of antagonistic interdependence, which holds all four types in equilibrium. The core of the symposium contains six autobiographical case studies of the practice of public sociology, all from Boston College. In different ways each case study responds to the issues raised in the introduction. The conclusion to the symposium is a manifesto for public sociologies, setting out the implications of the case studies for sociology's relation to society. * This symposium originated in the coincidence of two events -the interest of Social Problems in publishing pieces on public sociology and a series of seminars Michael Burawoy gave at Boston College in April 7-9 th ., 2003, which were followed by intense discussions about the practice and possibilities of public sociology. Burawoy invited those who had been most engaged in these discussions -all accomplished practitioners of public sociology --to write short rejoinders to the introductory paper below -rejoinders that would draw on their own experiences of doing public sociology.

Model organisms are an essential component of biological and biomedical research that can be used to study specific biological processes. These organisms are in part selected for facile experimental study. However, just as importantly, intensive study of a small number of model organisms yields important synergies as discoveries in one area of science for a given organism shed light on biological processes in other areas, even for other organisms. Furthermore, the extensive knowledge bases compiled for each model organism enable systems-level understandings of these species, which enhance the overall biological and biomedical knowledge for all organisms, including humans. Building upon extensive genomics research, we argue that the time is now right to focus intensively on model organism metabolomes. We propose a grand challenge for metabolomics studies of model organisms: to identify and map all metabolites onto metabolic pathways, to develop quantitative metabolic models for model...

Lagoons are highly productive coastal systems that could provide natural services to the surrounding ecosystem; however, their pollutions cause adverse changes in their natural environment. Korle and Kpeshie Lagoons in Ghana receive waste from industries and municipal sewage. Controlling and monitoring contaminants in these systems is very important to environmental protection. This study examined the presence of heavy metals (arsenic, chromium, copper, cadmium, lead, and zinc) in sediments, crabs (Callinectes amnicola), and fish (Sarotherodon melanotheron) at Kpeshie and Korle Lagoons. Although lagoons are highly productive coastal systems that offer ecosystem services, their pollution has a negative impact on the surrounding environment. Municipal sewage and industrial waste are dumped into Ghana's Korle and Kpeshie Lagoons. Contaminant monitoring and control in these systems are crucial for environmental protection. The study compared the concentrations of the heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, and zinc) in sediments, crabs (C. amnicola), and fish (S. melanotheron) at Kpeshie and Korle Lagoons to the environmental standards set by international organizations like the WHO and US EPA. The sediments from the Korle and Kpeshie Lagoons had traces of contamination in the following metal concentrations in S. melanotheron: cadmium, copper, zinc, lead, chromium, and arsenic, in that order:

Lagoons are highly productive coastal systems that could provide natural services to the surrounding ecosystem; however, their pollutions cause adverse changes in their natural environment. Korle and Kpeshie Lagoons in Ghana receive waste from industries and municipal sewage. Controlling and monitoring contaminants in these systems is very important to environmental protection. This study examined the presence of heavy metals (arsenic, chromium, copper, cadmium, lead, and zinc) in sediments, crabs (Callinectes amnicola), and fish (Sarotherodon melanotheron) at Kpeshie and Korle Lagoons. Although lagoons are highly productive coastal systems that offer ecosystem services, their pollution has a negative impact on the surrounding environment. Municipal sewage and industrial waste are dumped into Ghana's Korle and Kpeshie Lagoons. Contaminant monitoring and control in these systems are crucial for environmental protection. The study compared the concentrations of the heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, and zinc) in sediments, crabs (C. amnicola), and fish (S. melanotheron) at Kpeshie and Korle Lagoons to the environmental standards set by international organizations like the WHO and US EPA. The sediments from the Korle and Kpeshie Lagoons had traces of contamination in the following metal concentrations in S. melanotheron: cadmium, copper, zinc, lead, chromium, and arsenic, in that order:

Continuous discharge of industrial and domestic inputs from various processes into the Lagos lagoon has significantly affected the quality of the aquatic environment, as a result of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) being released into the harbour during anthropogenic activities. This study involved monitoring the concentration and distribution of heavy metals in Lagos harbour during the dry and wet seasons. The PTEs can pose a serious ecological threat to the marine environment as well as human beings when the level of priority metals like cadmium, lead, and chromium is beyond World Health Organization (WHO) limits of 0.003, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/L, respectively. The shipping activities within the harbour play a significant role in the generation of these toxic metals. The diverse nature of these metals coexisting with their oxidation states in aquatic environments and their bioaccumulation influences the toxicity of PTEs towards the living organism. The quantification of these metals w...

Aquaculture in Türkiye is a relatively young sector compared to other sectors. Fish farming in Türkiye is started with carp in 1960’s and rainbow trout culture fallowed it in the early 1970s. Sea bass and sea bream farming started in 1985 in the Aegean Sea. After than it has developed rapidly thanks to its huge potential, the state's support of the sector, the rapid adaptation of producers to developing and changing technologies, and their technical capacity, reaching 2,382 farms in 2022, and the total capacity reached 784,864 tons (MoAF, 2023).

The coastal region of Montenegro faces significant environmental challenges due to ongoing pollution from various sources. This study investigates trace metal contamination in sediment samples collected from the open coast of Montenegro in 2019 and 2020. Elevated contents of some elements, found at the location S4, but also at S1, were predominantly attributed to the pollution from nearby holiday cottages and restaurants. Multivariate statistical analysis, including cluster analysis and canonical component analysis, was used to identify trace metal grouping and variations in trace metal pollution in sediments from different locations. The contamination factor values indicated predominantly low to moderate contamination along the Montenegrin coast, with notable exceptions such as S4, showing very high contamination for Cr in 2020, and significant contamination for Cr in 2019, as well as Ni and Cd in 2020. Pollution load index values showed the presence of pollution at locations S3 and S4, while contamination severity index values revealed varying degrees of pollution severity across different locations, with S4 exhibiting ultra-high contamination levels. Regarding trace metal contamination, only sediments from S2 showed low risk to marine organisms despite its proximity to the tourist center of Budva. These findings underscore the importance of continued monitoring and effective management strategies to address trace metal contamination in Montenegrin coastal ecosystems.

Accurately characterizing the biology of a pelagic shark species is critical when assessing its status and resilience to fishing pressure. Natural mortality (M) is well known to be a key parameter determining productivity and resilience, but also one for which estimates are most uncertain. While M can be inferred from life history, validated direct estimates are extremely rare for sharks. Porbeagle (Lamna nasus) and shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) are presently overfished in the North Atlantic, but there are no directed fisheries and successful live release of bycatch is believed to have increased. Understanding M, post-release mortality (PRM), and variables that affect mortality are necessary for management and effective bycatch mitigation. From 177 deployments of archival satellite tags, we inferred mortality events, characterized physiological recovery periods following release, and applied survival mixture models to assess M and PRM. We also evaluated covariate effects on the duration of any recovery period and PRM to inform mitigation. Although large sample sizes involving extended monitoring periods (>90 days) would be optimal to directly estimate M from survival data, it was possible to constrain estimates and infer probable values for both species. Furthermore, the consistency of M estimates with values derived from longevity information suggests that age determination is relatively accurate for these species. Regarding bycatch mitigation, our analyses suggest that juvenile porbeagle are more susceptible to harm during capture and handling, that keeping lamnid sharks in the water during release is optimal, and that circle hooks are associated with longer recovery periods for shortfin mako.

Accurately characterizing the biology of a pelagic shark species is critical when assessing its status and resilience to fishing pressure. Natural mortality (M) is well known to be a key parameter determining productivity and resilience, but also one for which estimates are most uncertain. While M can be inferred from life history, validated direct estimates are extremely rare for sharks. Porbeagle (Lamna nasus) and shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) are presently overfished in the North Atlantic, but there are no directed fisheries and successful live release of bycatch is believed to have increased. Understanding M, post-release mortality (PRM), and variables that affect mortality are necessary for management and effective bycatch mitigation. From 177 deployments of archival satellite tags, we inferred mortality events, characterized physiological recovery periods following release, and applied survival mixture models to assess M and PRM. We also evaluated covariate effects on the ...

This study reports length-length relationships between Fork Length, Precaudal Length and Total Length for the main six pelagic species (Prionace glauca, Carcharhinus brachyurus, Carcharhinus signatus, Sphyrna zygaena, Isurus oxyrinchus and Lamnanasus) captured by pelagic longline fisheries in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. The length-length relationships provided in this contribution covers an extended portion of the reported size range of each species considered, and represents the first length-length conversions ever reported for these species in the region. Este estudio describe relaciones talla-talla entre longitud a la horquilla, longitud precaudal y longitud total para las seis especies principales de tiburones pelágicos (Prionace glauca, Carcharhinus brachyurus, Carcharhinus signatus, Sphyrna zygaena, Isurus oxyrinchus y Lamna nasus) capturados por la pesquería de palangre pelágico en el océano Atlántico suroccidental. Las relaciones talla-talla presentadas en este documento cubren una parte ampliada del rango de tallas comunicado para cada especie considerada, y representan las primeras conversiones talla-talla comunicadas para estas especies en la zona.

This study reports length-length relationships between Fork Length, Precaudal Length and Total Length for the main six pelagic species (Prionace glauca, Carcharhinus brachyurus, Carcharhinus signatus, Sphyrna zygaena, Isurus oxyrinchus and Lamnanasus) captured by pelagic longline fisheries in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. The length-length relationships provided in this contribution covers an extended portion of the reported size range of each species considered, and represents the first length-length conversions ever reported for these species in the region. Este estudio describe relaciones talla-talla entre longitud a la horquilla, longitud precaudal y longitud total para las seis especies principales de tiburones pelágicos (Prionace glauca, Carcharhinus brachyurus, Carcharhinus signatus, Sphyrna zygaena, Isurus oxyrinchus y Lamna nasus) capturados por la pesquería de palangre pelágico en el océano Atlántico suroccidental. Las relaciones talla-talla presentadas en este documento cubren una parte ampliada del rango de tallas comunicado para cada especie considerada, y representan las primeras conversiones talla-talla comunicadas para estas especies en la zona.

Africa accounts for nearly 30% of the discovered world’s mineral reserves, with half of the world’s platinum group metals deposits, 36% of gold, and 20% of cobalt being in Southern Africa (SA). The intensification of heavy-metal production in the SA region has exacerbated negative human and environmental health impacts. In recent years, mining waste generated from industrial and artisanal mining has significantly affected the ecological integrity of SA aquatic ecosystems due to the accelerated introduction and deposition of heavy metals. However, the extent to which heavy-metal pollution associated with mining has impacted the aquatic ecosystems has not been adequately documented, particularly during bioassessments. This review explores the current aquatic ecological impacts on the heavily mined river basins of SA. It also discusses the approaches to assessing the ecological risks, inherent challenges, and potential for developing an integrated ecological risk assessment protocol fo...

The proposed plan for enrichment of the Sulu Sea, Philippines, a region of rich marine biodiversity, with thousands of tonnes of urea in order to stimulate algal blooms and sequester carbon is flawed for multiple reasons. Urea is preferentially used as a nitrogen source by some cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates, many of which are neutrally or positively buoyant. Biological pumps to the deep sea are classically leaky, and the inefficient burial of new biomass makes the estimation of a net loss of carbon from the atmosphere questionable at best. The potential for growth of toxic dinoflagellates is also high, as many grow well on urea and some even increase their toxicity when grown on urea. Many toxic dinoflagellates form cysts which can settle to the sediment and germinate in subsequent years, forming new blooms even without further fertilization. If large-scale blooms do occur, it is likely that they will contribute to hypoxia in the bottom waters upon decomposition. Lastly, urea production requires fossil fuel usage, further limiting the potential for net carbon sequestration. The environmental and economic impacts are potentially great and need to be rigorously assessed.

Ecological Risk Assessment for the Effects of Fishing: Methodology. Report R04/1072 for the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Canberra) Thus, table and figure numbers within the fishery ERA report are not sequential as not all are relevant to the report results. Additional details on the rationale and the background to the methods development are contained in the ERAEF Final Report: Smith, A

Management of fisheries around the world is challenged by fishing impacts on habitats, bycatch species, threatened and endangered species, and even associated ecological communities. One response to these other factors has been a call for ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM), which demands consideration of the above non-target interactions. A challenge with implementation of EBFM is the scale and range of issues to be considered, all of which cannot be addressed at the same level of detail as for target species, due to data or time constraints. We developed an approach to progress the EBFM mandate in Australia, using a new ecological risk assessment framework applied to fisheries, termed Ecological Risk Assessment for the Effects of Fishing (ERAEF). Novel features of this framework include its hierarchical structure and its precautionary approach to uncertainty. The amount of information required increases through the hierarchy, and allows application in data-limited situations. The ERAEF framework has been applied to over 30 fisheries in Australia and elsewhere. The efficiencies in application of the hierarchical approach are illustrated by the south-east otter trawl fishery, where following Level 1 assessment of all components, an initial set of 600 species and 158 habitats was reduced to a group of concern of 159 species and 46 habitats using the Level 2 analysis, with the number of species of concern further reduced to 25 following Level 3 analysis. As a result of the assessments in Australia, management actions have been enacted for a range of the high risk species. Overall, the ERAEF approach offers a realistic method to assess ecological risk in an EBFM context, and has applicability in a wide range of fisheries. The interactive and inclusive nature of the approach also has the advantage of bringing stakeholders, scientists and managers together to develop management solutions.

Standard risk assessment of plant protection products (PPP) combines &#39;worst-case&#39; exposure scenarios with effect thresholds using assessment (safety) factors to account for uncertainties. If needed, risks can be addressed applying more realistic conditions at higher tiers, which refine exposure and/or effect assessments using additional data. However, it is not possible to investigate the wide range of potential scenarios experimentally. In contrast, ecotoxicological mechanistic effect models do allow addressing a multitude of scenarios. Furthermore, they may aid the interpretation of experiments such as mesocosm studies, allowing extrapolation to conditions not covered in experiments. Here we explore how to use mechanistic effect models in the aquatic risk assessment of a model insecticide (Modelmethrin), applied several times per season, but rapidly dissipating between applications. The case study focuses on potential effects on aquatic arthropods, the most sensitive group...

Ecosystems often experience multiple environmental stressors simultaneously that can differ widely in their pathways and strengths of impact. Differences in the relative impact of environmental stressors can guide restoration and management prioritization, but few studies have empirically assessed a comprehensive suite of stressors acting on a given ecosystem. To fill this gap in the Laurentian Great Lakes, where considerable restoration investments are currently underway, we used expert elicitation via a detailed online survey to develop ratings of the relative impacts of 50 potential stressors. Highlighting the multiplicity of stressors in this system, experts assessed all 50 stressors as having some impact on ecosystem condition, but ratings differed greatly among stressors. Individual stressors related to invasive and nuisance species (e.g., dreissenid mussels and ballast invasion risk) and climate change were assessed as having the greatest potential impacts. These results mark...

The recent advances in biological research, biochemical techniques, molecular epidemiology, biostatisticalj mathematical methods, and computational power provide opportunities for considerable improvement in the assessment of dose response relationships for risk assessment. This paper describes the discussion and results of a one-day meeting of thineen invited participants (listed as authors) of a dose response workgroup and several additional attending experts in dose response modeling. The workgroup meeting was pan of a three-day workshop exploring research possibilities to improve risk assessments done to suppon occupational and environmental health policies and standards. The charge to the panicipants of the workgroup was to identify five specific research areas that would significantly improve dose response modeling for occupational and environmental risk assessment. Each invited participant was asked to prepare a brief description of research programs that could be the subject of a request for proposals. Table shows titles and authors of each initial written proposal. This paper draws from the proposal writeups, often verbatim, to describe the areas of research the workgroup found most promising. The dose-response workgroup meeting proceeded in three stages. First proposals were soned into broad topic areas, and then each proposal was presented and discussed. Additional topic areas and ideas for proposals were then solicited from the group. Next there was an extended period during which the individual propoã ls were further refined, extended, and consolidated, into ten groups. Finally, each participant was asked to rank the proposal groups giving five points to the top choice in terms of desirability for funding, four for the second choice, three for the third, two for the fourth, one for the fifth and zero for the remaining fIVe proposal groups. In all, thineen people participated in this ranking exercise. The ten areas the group chose to explore, in ranked order are given in Table . Some proposals benefited by the multiplicity of ideas attached within the various groups-and the process of grouping is the principal reason why there is not a oneto-one mapping of the initial proposals listed in Table to the final ranked items in Table . The groupings may well have been a disadvantage to some of the 1422

Hazards of soil-borne Pb to wild birds may be more accurately quantified if the bioavailability of that Pb is known. To better understand the bioavailability of Pb to birds, we measured blood Pb concentrations in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) fed diets containing Pb-contaminated soils. Relative bioavailabilities were expressed by comparison with blood Pb concentrations in quail fed a Pb acetate reference diet. Diets containing soil from five Pb-contaminated Superfund sites had relative bioavailabilities from 33%-63%, with a mean of about 50%. Treatment of two of the soils with phosphorus significantly reduced the bioavailability of Pb. Bioaccessibility of Pb in the test soils was then measured in six in vitro tests and regressed on bioavailability. They were: the &quot;Relative Bioavailability Leaching Procedure&quot; (RBALP) at pH 1.5, the same test conducted at pH 2.5, the &quot;Ohio State University In vitro Gastrointestinal&quot; method (OSU IVG), the &quot;Urban Soil Bioac...

Hazards of soil-borne Pb to wild birds may be more accurately quantified if the bioavailability of that Pb is known. To better understand the bioavailability of Pb to birds, we measured blood Pb concentrations in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) fed diets containing Pb-contaminated soils. Relative bioavailabilities were expressed by comparison with blood Pb concentrations in quail fed a Pb acetate reference diet. Diets containing soil from five Pb-contaminated Superfund sites had relative bioavailabilities from 33%-63%, with a mean of about 50%. Treatment of two of the soils with phosphorus significantly reduced the bioavailability of Pb. Bioaccessibility of Pb in the test soils was then measured in six in vitro tests and regressed on bioavailability. They were: the &quot;Relative Bioavailability Leaching Procedure&quot; (RBALP) at pH 1.5, the same test conducted at pH 2.5, the &quot;Ohio State University In vitro Gastrointestinal&quot; method (OSU IVG), the &quot;Urban Soil Bioac...

The current study is a longitudinal investigation of unobserved heterogeneity in the developmental trajectories of problem behaviors among children who have experienced maltreatment. The goal of this study is to inform effective intervention plans with respect to behavior problems of maltreated children by examining the different trajectories of behavior problems and by assessing ecological risk factors related to each trajectory. This study utilized data from the Longitudinal Study of Child Abuse and Neglect, in which 827 maltreated children have been followed from age 4 to age 10. This study identified five distinctive developmental trajectories of maltreated children. In most trajectory groups, a specific set of ecological risk factors distinctively predicted the probability of membership in a specific group. The results are discussed with respect to individualized early intervention efforts toward those most likely to benefit.

Traditional methods for evaluating decision-making provide valuable insights yet may fall short in capturing the complexity of this cognitive capacity, often providing insufficient for the multifaceted nature of decisions. The Kalliste Decision Task (KDT) is introduced as a comprehensive, ecologically valid tool aimed at bridging this gap, offering a holistic perspective on decision-making. In our study, 81 participants completed KDT alongside established tasks and questionnaires, including the Mixed Gamble Task (MGT), Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), and Stimulating & Instrumental Risk Questionnaire (S&IRQ). They also completed the User Satisfaction Evaluation Questionnaire (USEQ). The results showed excellent usability, with high USEQ scores, highlighting the user-friendliness of KDT. Importantly, KDT outcomes showed significant correlations with classical decision-making variables, shedding light on participants' risk attitudes (S&IRQ), rule-based decision-making (MGT), and performance in ambiguous contexts (IGT). Moreover, hierarchical clustering analysis of KDT scores categorized participants into three distinct profiles, revealing significant differences between them on classical measures. The findings highlight KDT as a valuable tool for assessing decision-making, addressing limitations of traditional methods, and offering a comprehensive, ecologically valid approach that aligns with the complexity and heterogeneity of real-world decision-making, advancing research and providing insights for understanding and assessing decision-making across multiple domains.