Improving the Use of Toxicity Reference Values in Wildlife Food Chain Modeling and Ecological Risk Assessment

Ecological risk assessments often include mechanistic food chain models based on toxicity reference values (TRVs) and a hazard quotient approach. TRVs intended for screening purposes or as part of a larger weight-of-evidence (WOE) assessment are readily available. However, our experience suggests that food chain models using screening-level TRVs often form the primary basis for risk management at smaller industrial sites being redeveloped for residential or urban parkland uses. Iterative improvement of a food chain model or the incorporation of multiple lines of evidence for these sites are often impractical from a cost-benefit perspective when compared to remedial alternatives. We recommend risk assessors examine the assumptions and factors in the TRV derivation process, and where appropriate, modify the TRVs to improve their ecological relevance. Five areas where uncertainty likely contributes to excessively conservative hazard quotients are identified for consideration.