title: Bioaccumulation in aquatic systems: methodological approaches, monitoring and assessment.
abstract: Bioaccumulation, the accumulation of a chemical in an organism relative to its level in the ambient medium, is of major environmental concern. Thus, monitoring chemical concentrations in biota are widely and increasingly used for assessing the chemical status of aquatic ecosystems. In this paper, various scientific and regulatory aspects of bioaccumulation in aquatic systems and the relevant critical issues are discussed. Monitoring chemical concentrations in biota can be used for compliance checking with regulatory directives, for identification of chemical sources or event-related environmental risk assessment. Assessing bioaccumulation in the field is challenging since many factors have to be considered that can affect the accumulation of a chemical in an organism. Passive sampling can complement biota monitoring since samplers with standardised partition properties can be used over a wide temporal and geographical range. Bioaccumulation is also assessed for regulation of chemicals of environmental concern whereby mainly data from laboratory studies on fish bioaccumulation are used. Field data can, however, provide additional important information for regulators. Strategies for bioaccumulation assessment still need to be harmonised for different regulations and groups of chemicals. To create awareness for critical issues and to mutually benefit from technical expertise and scientific findings, communication between risk assessment and monitoring communities needs to be improved. Scientists can support the establishment of new monitoring programs for bioaccumulation, e.g. in the frame of the amended European Environmental Quality Standard Directive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Qualitative Hydrology, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Toxicology, Pathology, Bavarian Environment Agency, Demollstr. 31, 82407 Wielenbach, Germany.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buchmeier
authors.affiliation: Department of Qualitative Hydrology, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany.
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Claus
authors.affiliation: Department of Qualitative Hydrology, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duester
authors.affiliation: Department of Qualitative Hydrology, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heininger
authors.affiliation: German Federal Environment Agency, Am Wörlitzer Platz 1, 06844 Dessau, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Körner
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecological Chemistry, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Albrecht
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paschke
authors.affiliation: German Federal Environment Agency, Am Wörlitzer Platz 1, 06844 Dessau, Germany.
authors.forename: Caren
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rauert
authors.affiliation: Department of Qualitative Hydrology, Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reifferscheid
authors.affiliation: Department of the Environmental Specimen Bank and Elemental Analysis, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rüdel
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecotoxicology, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schlechtriem
authors.affiliation: German Federal Environment Agency, Am Wörlitzer Platz 1, 06844 Dessau, Germany.
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schröter-Kermani
authors.affiliation: German Federal Environment Agency, Am Wörlitzer Platz 1, 06844 Dessau, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schudoma
authors.affiliation: Deltares, PO Box 85467, , 3508 AL Utrecht, The Netherlands ; Masaryk University, Recetox, Kamenice 753/5-A29, 62 500 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Foppe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Smedes
authors.affiliation: Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency, An der Scharlake 39, 31135 Hildesheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steffen
authors.affiliation: Department of Questions of Principle of Water Management, Water Quality of Surface and Ground Water, Water Supply, Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Schwannstraße 3, 40476 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Friederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vietoris
keywords: Chemical assessment; Ecotoxicology; Environmental quality; Environmental quality standards; Monitoring; Passive sampling; Water framework directive