Assessment factors in species sensitivity distributions for the derivation of guideline values for aquatic contaminants
David R. Fox
A B * and Graeme E. Batley C
A Environmetrics Australia, Beaumaris, Vic. 3193, Australia.
B Division of Engineering and IT, University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
C CSIRO Land and Water, Locked Bag 2007, Kirrawee, NSW 2232, Australia.
Environmental Chemistry 19(4) 201-209 https://doi.org/10.1071/EN22061
Submitted: 12 June 2022 Accepted: 30 July 2022 Published: 7 September 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing.
Environmental context. The use of assessment factors applied to guideline values derived using species sensitivity distributions adds an unnecessary level of conservatism. Using an adequate toxicity dataset and applying the latest model-averaging software will yield values of greatest reliability.
Abstract. The development of the Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD) more than 30 years ago was in direct response to the many criticisms concerning the use of subjective Assessment (or Application) Factors (AFs) in widespread use at the time. While not perfect, SSD modelling is statistically defensible whereas AFs are not. While intuitively appealing, we believe recent guidance recommending the use of AFs in conjunction with SSD modelling is concerning and has the potential to impose unnecessary, time-consuming and expensive follow-up investigations on both regulators and the regulated. This paper outlines our concerns and presents results of more contemporary analyses to quantify the impact of arbitrary scaling of SSD model outputs.
Keywords: assessment factor, guideline value, hazardous concentrations, model averaging, risk assessment, species sensitivity distribution, uncertainty.
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