Guidance on the Selection of Data for the Development of Aquatic Bioaccumulation Factors WP 24-01

This white paper reviews best practices in conducting field studies to develop bioaccumulation factors (BAFs). This information will be of value to those who are reviewing field BAF studies and evaluating study quality to ensure that high-quality data are relied on for the development of BAFs. This white paper will also be of value to those designing a protocol for the collection of data to derive a field BAF to ensure the study is robust and informative. This review covers the general approach to the derivation of field BAFs by US EPA and critical study elements that are needed in individual studies to ensure the use of robust and reliable data. Critical study elements include the number and timing of water samples, the number and timing of organism samples, the tissue target site of organism samples, the temporal coordination of water and organism samples, the spatial coordination of water and organism samples, the human health relevance of the species to which the BAF may be applied, the life history characteristics of the species to which the BAF may be applied (i.e., habitat preferences and food), and the characteristics of relevant non-water habitat (e.g., sediment chemical concentrations for benthic organisms or benthivores). Use of this guidance is intended to increase the transparency and reliability of field-derived BAFs for use in human health water quality criteria and other environmental risk assessment applications.

Download White Paper: NCASI BAF Data Selection Best Practices_WP 24-01

Authored by: Giffe Johnson, Ph.D.

Acknowledgments: Renee Ragsdale, Paul Wiegand, and Camille Flinders contributed to this report

Keywords
bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), fish tissue, trophic levels, biological accumulation, biological concentration, human health water quality criteria, persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic

For more information contact: gro.isacn@snoitacilbup