T5 AM Terrestrial Ecotoxicology
Tuesday, 15 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 11:40 AM in 321-323

(BUR-1117-834807) Wildlife Toxicity Reference Values for Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons and DDT.

Burris, J.¹, Hoff, D. ², Russom, C. ³, Ells, S.⁴, ¹ Syracuse Research Corporation, Denver, CO, USA² USEPA Region 8, Denver, CO, USA³ USEPA/ORD/NHEERL/Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, USA⁴

ABSTRACT- Wildlife Toxicity Reference Values were developed by the USEPA Superfund for the calculation of Ecological Soil Screening Levels (Eco–SSLs) protective of terrestrial wildlife. The wildlife Eco–SSL is the soil contaminant concentration where the Effect Dose (TRV) and Exposure Dose are equal (amount of contaminant in the diet that is taken up from soil). The TRV is defined as the dose above which ecologically relevant effects might occur to wildlife species following chronic dietary exposure and below which it is reasonably expected that effects will not occur. A four-step process was used to derive TRVs: 1) Literature search, 2) Literature review and data extraction, 3) Data evaluation, and 4) TRV derivation. This presentation provides the resuls of the interim final TRV processs and subsequent Eco-SSLs for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and DDT and metabolites. The extracted toxicological data is classified by effect type for six classes of endpoints including mortality, reproduction, growth, biochemical, behavioral, and physiological. Each extracted result is assigned a data evaluation score ranging from 30 to 100 indicating the quality of the study. Studies with scores above 65 are then plotted by effect type and used to derive the wildlife TRV (Step 4) according to a pre–established selection and calculation hierarchy. The derivation process and results (both TRV and associated Eco–SSL) are discussed for each contaminant.

Key words: Wildlife toxicity reference value, Soil screening value, Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, DDT