title: Future needs and recommendations in the development of species sensitivity distributions: Estimating toxicity thresholds for aquatic ecological communities and assessing impacts of chemical exposures.
abstract: A species sensitivity distribution (SSD) is a probability model of the variation of species sensitivities to a stressor, in particular chemical exposure. The SSD approach has been used as a decision support tool in environmental protection and management since the 1980s, and the ecotoxicological, statistical, and regulatory basis and applications continue to evolve. This article summarizes the findings of a 2014 workshop held by the European Centre for Toxicology and Ecotoxicology of Chemicals and the UK Environment Agency in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on the ecological relevance, statistical basis, and regulatory applications of SSDs. An array of research recommendations categorized under the topical areas of use of SSDs, ecological considerations, guideline considerations, method development and validation, toxicity data, mechanistic understanding, and uncertainty were identified and prioritized. A rationale for the most critical research needs identified in the workshop is provided. The workshop reviewed the technical basis and historical development and application of SSDs, described approaches to estimating generic and scenario-specific SSD-based thresholds, evaluated utility and application of SSDs as diagnostic tools, and presented new statistical approaches to formulate SSDs. Collectively, these address many of the research needs to expand and improve their application. The highest priority work, from a pragmatic regulatory point of view, is to develop a guidance of best practices that could act as a basis for global harmonization and discussions regarding the SSD methodology and tools. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:664-674. © 2016 SETAC.
authors.affiliation: Procter & Gamble, Mason Business Center, Mason, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belanger
authors.affiliation: US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Ecology Division, Gulf Breeze, Florida.
authors.forename: Mace
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.affiliation: Procter & Gamble, Mason Business Center, Mason, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Malyka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galay-Burgos
authors.affiliation: Syngenta, Jealott's Hill Research Station, Bracknell, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mick
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamer
authors.affiliation: Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever Colworth, Sharnbrook, Bedford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Posthuma
authors.affiliation: US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Ecology Division, Gulf Breeze, Florida.
authors.forename: Sandy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raimondo
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Environment Agency, Red Kite House, Howbery Park, Wallingford, Oxon, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whitehouse
mesh_terms: D059001:Aquatic Organisms; D058448:Biota; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004463:Ecology; D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000379:methods*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009426:Netherlands; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D035501:Uncertainty; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Impact; Probabilistic; Research needs; Risk assessment