Selenium Assessment in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Guide for Hazard Evaluation and Water Quality Criteria

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Springer Science & Business Media, Mar 21, 2002 - Science - 162 pages
Selenium is a naturally occurring trace element that can become concentrated and released by industrial, agricultural, petrochemical and mining activities. At concentrated levels it is toxic and has polluted ecosystems around the world. This book will serve as a comprehensive practical handbook for everyone dealing with selenium in aquatic environments. It offers field-tested approaches and methods for assessment and water quality management. Using his twenty-year experience, the author discusses the effects of selenium on fish and bird populations and presents guidelines for identifying sources of pollution, interpreting selenium concentrations, assessing hazardous conditions, setting water quality criteria and ecosystem loading limits (TMDLs). He also includes a procedure for setting environmentally safe limits that ensure compliance with EPA regulations. Selenium Assessment in Aquatic Ecosystems will interest field scientists, natural resource managers, risk assessors and environmental planners.
 

Contents

Selenium Pollution Around the World
3
Interpreting Selenium Concentrations
18
Toxic Effects of Selenium in Fish
39
Protocol for Aquatic Hazard Assessment
61
Teratogenic Deformity Index for Fish
89
Hydrological Units and Selenium Criteria
103
Developing SiteSpecific Water Quality Criteria
114
Setting Ecosystem Loading Limits
134
Emerging Selenium Contamination Issues
145
Index
155
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