Using sparse dose-response data for wildlife risk assessment.

Hazard quotients based on a point-estimate comparison of exposure to a toxicity reference value (TRV) are commonly used to characterize risks for wildlife. Quotients may be appropriate for screening-level assessments but should be avoided in detailed assessments, because they provide little insight regarding the likely magnitude of effects and associated uncertainty. To better characterize risks to wildlife and support more informed decision making, practitioners should make full use of available dose-response data.

Sorption of phthalate esters and PCBs in a marine ecosystem.

Dialkyl phthalate esters (DPEs) are widely used industrial chemicals with octanol-seawater partition coefficients ranging between 10(1.80) for dimethyl phthalate to 10(10.0) for diiso-decyl phthalate, indicating a propensity to sorb strongly to particulate matter in aquatic environments.

Determination of phthalate ester congeners and mixtures by LC/ESI-MS in sediments and biota of an urbanized marine inlet.

Phthalate esters (PEs) are a group of widely used commercial chemicals consisting of many different congeners. Concentrations of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ester in the parts per million range have been observed in sediments from locations in North America and Europe. However, sediment and biota concentrations of other widely used PEs (i.