24. May 2022, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology Sediment Ecotoxicology Risk Assessment

Sediment quality criteria new on website

The Ecotox Centre recommends a total of 20 substances or substance classes for sediment monitoring. These include some classic sediment pollutants such as metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and also new substances such as pesticides (e.g. chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, tebuconazole), pharmaceuticals (ciprofloxacin, oestrogenic hormones) and ingredients of personal care products (e.g. triclosan, tonalide). For these prioritised substances, the Ecotox Centre has developed Sediment Quality Criteria (SQC) based on effect data, which indicate the concentration above which adverse effects on sediment organisms cannot be excluded. The values and the associated dossiers are now available on the website of the Ecotox Centre. As a "cookbook" for the SQK, the scientists used the EU technical guidance document for the derivation of water quality criteria, which also contains guidance for sediments.

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