The SED-TOX Index for Toxicity Assessment of contaminated solid matrices

Abstract

Initiatives to develop new methodologies for the assessment of sediment and soil toxicity are ongoing. While there is a need for more sensitive and cost-effective bioassays, the question remains: what concept should be used to integrate as much information as possible from a diverse set of test species and assessment endpoints? It has been demonstrated that it is possible to summarize the results of multiple toxicity assays conducted on a solid matrix such as freshwater sediments by means of a single index. Although there is still little experience with this sediment toxicity index, it is expected to be of great utility in the assessment of sediment and soil quality as a tool for evaluating their toxic potential and tracking their condition over time. Information generated from the SED-TOX index may also prove helpful for investigators who wish to explore causality in future investigations. It might, for instance, be employed to pinpoint sites of concern where investigative strategies involving bioanalytical assessment of spiked sediments or toxicity identification evaluations (TIEs) might be appropriate.