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(394) Modeling the mitigating effects of NOM on copper toxicity to aquatic organisms. Santore, Robert1, Paquin, Paul1, Wu, Kuen-Ben1, Di Toro, Dominic 1,2, Allen, Herbert3, Klaine, Steve4, 1 2 3 4 ABSTRACT- It has long been recognized that natural organic matter (NOM) can reduce the toxicity of metals to aquatic organisms. Recently we have developed the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) to explain and predict the effects of water chemistry, including NOM concentrations, on metal toxicity. The BLM predicts metal toxicity as a function of accumulation at a specific site of action in an organism. Metal activity is calculated using a chemical equilibrium approach that considers inorganic and organic metal complexes. The BLM uses a description of metal interactions with NOM developed for the Windermere Humic Aqueous Model (WHAM). Application of the BLM to numerous copper toxicity datasets has shown that it can successfully predict the reduction in copper toxicity due to the presence of NOM. Key words: NOM, biotic ligand model, copper , bioavailability |
