Selenium toxicity to aquatic life: an argument for sediment-based water quality criteria

A number of streams in Colorado were found to contain waterborne selenium concentrations that consistently exceeded the current U.S. EPA chronic criterion of 5 microgram/L and often exceeded the acute criterion of 20 microgram/L. Despite these elevated concentrations, no biological impact was observ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental toxicology and chemistry 1997-06, Vol.16 (6), p.1255-1259
Main Authors: Canton, S.P. (Chadwick Ecological Consultants, Inc., Littleton, CO.), Van Derveer, W.D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
Biological and medical sciences
CALIDAD DEL AGUA
COLORADO
CONTROLE CONTINU
COURS D'EAU
CURSOS DE AGUA
Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution
Fresh water environment
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
QUALITE DE L'EAU
SELENIO
SELENIUM
TOXICIDAD
TOXICITE
Toxicity
VIGILANCIA
Water quality criteria
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Summary:A number of streams in Colorado were found to contain waterborne selenium concentrations that consistently exceeded the current U.S. EPA chronic criterion of 5 microgram/L and often exceeded the acute criterion of 20 microgram/L. Despite these elevated concentrations, no biological impact was observed. These findings led to a review of selenium exposure pathways in freshwater. The literature strongly indicates that chronic selenium toxicity can result from accumulation of selenium in the sediment, movement into the food chain, and resulting dietary uptake. Chronic toxicity does not appear to be strictly a result of waterborne selenium concentrations, In fact, dissolved selenium concentrations are a poor predictor of potential chronic toxicity to freshwater organisms, when evaluated with Hill's criteria for causal association. To develop a more reliable chronic waterborne criterion, a sediment-based method is needed to describe accurately potential chronic toxicity of selenium on a site-specific basis
ISSN:0730-7268
1552-8618
DOI:10.1002/etc.5620160622