title: A tiered, integrated biological and chemical monitoring framework for contaminants of emerging concern in aquatic ecosystems.
abstract: The chemical-specific risk-based paradigm that informs monitoring and assessment of environmental contaminants does not apply well to the many thousands of new chemicals that are being introduced into ambient receiving waters. We propose a tiered framework that incorporates bioanalytical screening tools and diagnostic nontargeted chemical analysis to more effectively monitor for contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). The framework is based on a comprehensive battery of in vitro bioassays to first screen for a broad spectrum of CECs and nontargeted analytical methods to identify bioactive contaminants missed by the currently favored targeted analyses. Water quality managers in California have embraced this strategy with plans to further develop and test this framework in regional and statewide pilot studies on waterbodies that receive discharge from municipal wastewater treatment plants and stormwater runoff. In addition to directly informing decisions, the data obtained using this framework can be used to construct and validate models that better predict CEC occurrence and toxicity. The adaptive interplay among screening results, diagnostic assessment and predictive modeling will allow managers to make decisions based on the most current and relevant information, instead of extrapolating from parameters with questionable linkage to CEC impacts. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:540-547. © 2015 SETAC.
authors.affiliation: Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority, Costa Mesa, California, USA.
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Maruya
authors.affiliation: Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority, Costa Mesa, California, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Dodder
authors.affiliation: Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority, Costa Mesa, California, USA.
authors.forename: Alvine C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Mehinto
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Denslow
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schlenk
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Shane A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority, Costa Mesa, California, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Weisberg
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060753:Water Quality / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Aquatic ecosystems; Bioanalytical tools; Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs); Monitoring; Nontargeted chemical analysis