ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF FRESHWATER SEDIMENTS IN BRAZIL

Abstract

During the past 40 years, ecological risk assessments (ERA) were being performed by different organizations, using different various principles and methods, with little or no communication and inconsistencies between the different many assessment methodologies. Brazil still does not have a regulation based on quality criteria for sediments. Also, ERA approach has only been introduced here, and detailed guidance on how to interpret and apply these frameworks is still generally inadequate. In our paper, ERA framework and its application around the globe is are presented. Also, some promising future directions in ERA are briefly discussed, and critical challenges to future success of this tool in Brazil are identified.

Keywords

• ecological risk assessments; toxicity; sediment quality guidelines; weight of evidence.