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Prioritizing chemicals of emerging concern in the Great Lakes Basin using covariance of chemical concentrations and diverse biological responses from a variety of species
Citation:
Vitense, K., L. Loken, E. Maloney, B. Blackwell, T. Collette, S. Corsi, C. Custer, E. Davenport, S. Kohno, AND S. Hummel. Prioritizing chemicals of emerging concern in the Great Lakes Basin using covariance of chemical concentrations and diverse biological responses from a variety of species. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, 44(3):764–776, (2025). https://doi.org/10.1093/etojnl/vgae094
Impact/Purpose:
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) can be hazardous to aquatic and terrestrial life and have been well-documented throughout the Great Lakes Basin. An interagency team conducted field studies at sites along the Maumee River in Ohio, USA in 2016-2017, monitoring CEC levels along with diverse in vitro and in vivo biological effects in ecologically relevant species. The objective of this work was to prioritize the CECs in these studies for further monitoring and assessment by determining if there are patterns in chemical-bioeffect relations across datasets, species, and response types that would indicate relatively high or low hazard to aquatic life from CEC exposure. We used a common approach to identify covariance between chemical concentrations and biological responses in each study, synthesized chemical detection and bioeffect covariance results across studies and species, and used this information to prioritize chemicals for further monitoring and assessment. This prioritization will allow agencies to more efficiently allocate limited resources to improve the ability to protect aquatic and terrestrial organisms from adverse impacts due to exposure to contaminants.
Description:
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) aims to protect and restore the nation's largest freshwater resource, in part, by furthering our understanding of the effects of complex chemical mixtures and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) on aquatic and terrestrial organisms. To address this goal, an interagency team conducted field studies at sites along the Maumee River in Ohio, USA in 2016-2017, monitoring CEC levels along with diverse in vitro and in vivo biological effects in ecologically relevant species (fathead minnows, tree swallows, and Asian clams). The objective of the present work was to prioritize the CECs in these studies for further monitoring and assessment by determining if there are patterns in chemical-bioeffect relations across datasets, species, and response types that would indicate relatively high or low hazard to aquatic life from CEC exposure. Our specific goals were to 1) use a common approach to identify covariance between chemical concentrations and biological responses in each study, 2) synthesize chemical detection and bioeffect covariance results across studies and species, and 3) use this information to prioritize chemicals for further monitoring and assessment. Of the 748 monitored chemicals, 425 were detected at least once and were able to be analyzed for covariance with biological responses. All 748 chemicals were placed into 10 bins based on the frequency with which they were monitored, detected, and covaried with biological effects (where applicable). We describe how chemicals can be prioritized across bins to aid future monitoring and assessment efforts. Our approach using effects-based monitoring data is especially useful for enabling prioritization of chemicals with little or no traditional toxicity testing data. Similar evidence-based prioritizations will allow agencies to more efficiently allocate limited resources to improve the ability to protect aquatic and terrestrial organisms from adverse impacts due to exposure to contaminants.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Prioritizing chemicals of emerging concern in the Great Lakes Basin using covariance of chemical concentrations and diverse biological responses from a variety of species