Ecological Key Factor Toxicity, part 5 : background document on effect-based trigger values for environmental water quality

STOWA developed the conceptual framework of the Ecological Key Factors (Ecologische Sleutelfactoren) for the ecological assessment of water quality issues. The key factors describe preconditions for good water quality. The key factors help to structure the available information of water quality and make it possible to pinpoint dominant processes in water system functioning. In a series of five reports the ESF Toxicity is elaborated. This report (part 5) is a background document on effect-based trigger values for the assessment of the ecological risks of (a combination of) chemicals. The aim of these EBTs is that they should provide initial hazard identification of organic micropollutants for the aquatic organisms. The EBTs will be included in a model called “SIMONI” (Smart Integrated MONItoring) that can be used to discriminate between ‘low risk’ sites, where no further analyses are needed, and ‘potential risk’ sites, where an additional risk assessment has to be conducted.