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.

Copper alloys' metal migration and bioaccessibility in saliva and gastric fluid.

The oral bioaccessibility of copper alloys and pure metals was assessed using in vitro methods with synthetic saliva and gastric fluid. The metal-specific migration rates from polished alloy surfaces are higher in gastric (pH 1.5) than in saliva fluid (pH 7.

The Fate of Copper Added to Surface Water: Field, Laboratory, and Modeling Studies.

The fate and effects of copper in the environment are governed by a complex set of environmental processes that include binding to inorganic and organic ligands in water, soil, and sediments. In natural waters, these interactions can limit copper bioavailability and result in copper transport from the water column to the sediment. In the present study, data on the fate of copper added to lakes, microcosms, and mesocosms were compiled and analyzed to determine copper removal rates from the water column.

Modeling the Fate of Metal Concentrates in Surface Water.

Metals present in concentrates are in a solid form and are not bioavailable, but they can dissolve or potentially transform to more soluble forms. Transformation/dissolution laboratory protocols have been developed to assess the importance of dissolution of sparingly soluble metal substances in the context of hazard classification; however, these tests represent worst-case scenarios for metal bioavailability because attenuation mechanisms such as complexation, sorption, and transport to the sediment are not considered. A unit world model (UWM) for metals in lakes, tableau input coupled kinetics equilibrium transport (TICKET)-UWM, has been developed that considers key processes affecting metal transport, fate, and toxicity including complexation by aqueous inorganic and ligands, partitioning to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC), precipitation, and transport of dissolved metals and solids between the water column and sediment.

MeClas: An online tool for hazard identification and classification of complex inorganic metal-containing materials.

MeClas is a web-based tool to generate (eco)toxicity hazard categories and corresponding classification & labelling information of inorganic metal-containing complex materials such as ores, concentrates, intermediates or alloys for which the manual application of the GHS/CLP rules is very complex and requires a high level of consistency. The tool comprises several tiers, aimed at the progressive refinement of classification through recognition of specific mineral content, speciation/mineralogy up to bio-availability corrections. Where relevant in a regional jurisdiction (EU and US), mandatory classification references are used complementary to high quality (eco)toxicity reference values (ERV/TRV) and self-classifications.