Development of a bioavailability-based acute effects assessment method for nickel.

This study aimed to develop a bioavailability-based effects assessment method for nickel (Ni) to derive acute freshwater environmental thresholds in Europe. The authors established a reliable acute freshwater Ni ecotoxicity database covering 63 different freshwater species, and the existing acute Ni bioavailability models for invertebrates were revised. A single average invertebrate bioavailability model was proposed, in which the protective effects of Ca2+ and Mg2+ on Ni2+ toxicity were integrated as a single-site competition effect at the Ni biotic ligand.

Updated Chronic Copper Bioavailability Models for Invertebrates and Algae.

Chronic copper (Cu) bioavailability models have been successfully implemented in European risk assessment frameworks and compliance evaluations. However, they were developed almost two decades ago, which calls for an update. In the study, we present updated chronic Cu bioavailability models for invertebrates and algae.

Assessment of the contribution of surfactants to mixture toxicity in French surface waters.

Surfactants are widely used 'down-the-drain' chemicals with the potential to occur at high concentrations in local water bodies and to be part of unintentional environmental mixtures. Recently, increased regulatory focus has been placed on the impacts of complex mixtures in aquatic environments and the substances that are likely to drive mixture risk. This study assessed the contribution of surfactants to the total mixture pressure in freshwater ecosystems.

Ecotoxicity of Lead to a Phytoplankton Community: Effects of pH and Phosphorus Addition and Implications for Risk Assessment.

Ecological risk assessment and water quality criteria for lead (Pb) are increasingly making use of bioavailability-based approaches to account for the impact of toxicity-modifying factors, such as pH and dissolved organic carbon. For phytoplankton, which are among the most Pb-sensitive freshwater species, a Pb bioavailability model has previously been developed based on standard single-species exposures at a high phosphorus (P) concentration and pH range of 6.0 to 8.