scholarly journals Efficiency of sediment quality guidelines to predict toxicity: The case of the St. Lawrence River

2007 ◽  
Vol preprint (2009) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mélanie Desrosiers ◽  
Marc Babut ◽  
Magella Pelletier ◽  
Caroll Bélanger ◽  
Suzie Thibodeau ◽  
...  
2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (S1) ◽  
pp. 113-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Filion ◽  
Antoine Morin

Concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn were measured in surface sediments and in five aquatic macroinvertebrate taxa to assess metal contamination in ecologically important but understudied shallow littoral areas of the St. Lawrence River, near Cornwall, Ontario, and to test for the effect of local point sources. Metal concentrations in littoral sediments were generally below the lowest effect level of the Ontario provincial sediment quality guidelines and were positively related to the proportion of fine particles and of organic matter in sediments. Analyses of the spatial distribution of metal concentrations in sediments and macroinvertebrates showed that local sources of Hg and Zn had contributed to the contamination of littoral sediments and macroinvertebrates. Concentrations of Cr, Fe, Ni, and Zn in chironomids and oligochaetes were similar or higher than levels reported for deeper sites in the Cornwall area, despite the much lower concentrations in littoral sediments, suggesting a higher bioavailability of metals in littoral than in deeper sediments. Although the effect of local point sources of metals was still detectable in 1994, the comparison with Ontario sediment quality guidelines and with other sites in the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence ecosystem suggests that metal contamination of littoral sediments and invertebrates was relatively low.


Ecotoxicology ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald D. Macdonald ◽  
R. Scott Carr ◽  
Fred D. Calder ◽  
Edward R. Long ◽  
Christopher G. Ingersoll

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