title: A review of ecological risk assessment methods for amphibians: Comparative assessment of testing methodologies and available data.
abstract: Historically, ecological risk assessments have rarely included amphibian species, focusing preferentially on other aquatic (fish, invertebrates, algae) and terrestrial wildlife (birds and mammal) species. Often this lack of consideration is due to a paucity of toxicity data, significant variation in study design, uncertainty with regard to exposure, or a combination of all three. Productive risk assessments for amphibians are particularly challenging, given variations in complex life history strategies. Further consideration is needed for the development of useful laboratory animal models and appropriate experimental test procedures that can be effectively applied to the examination of biological response patterns. Using these standardized techniques, risk estimates can be more accurately defined to ensure adequate protection of amphibians from a variety of stress agents. Patterns in toxicity may help to ascertain whether test results from 1 amphibian group (e.g., Urodela) could be sufficiently protective of another (e.g., Anura) and/or whether some nonamphibian aquatic taxonomic groups (e.g., fish or aquatic invertebrates) may be representative of aquatic amphibian life stages. This scope is intended to be a guide in the development of methods that would yield data appropriate for ecological risk decisions applicable to amphibians. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:601-613. © 2016 SETAC.
authors.affiliation: US Army Public Health Center, Toxicology Directorate, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: US Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Arlington, Virginia.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aubee
authors.affiliation: Environmental Science and Studies and Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Salice
authors.affiliation: Ramboll Environ, Beachwood, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Katrina B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Leigh
authors.affiliation: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia.
authors.forename: Elissa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pott
authors.affiliation: TRE Environmental, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pillard
mesh_terms: D000663:Amphibians / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Amphibian; Contaminated sites; Ecological risk assessment; Life history