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Extrapolation of laboratory toxicity results to the field: a case study using the OECD artificial soil earthworm toxicity test

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Ecological Risk Assessment of Contaminants in Soil

Abstract

Six factors that can alter the sensitivity of organisms in standardized tests compared with the field have been described (Van Straalen and Denneman, 1989). These factors may cause problems when attempts are made to use laboratory results to predict the impact of pollutants in the field, since it is not clear if an extrapolation factor should be applied. Clearly, if results from laboratory assays are to be placed in their correct context within the risk assessment procedure, discrepancies between toxicity in test and natural systems must be evaluated and strategies developed to rationalize such variations. To understand the relationship between toxicity in the laboratory and field, it is essential that studies extrapolating the results of standardized tests to polluted sites are undertaken. The work described in this chapter details such a study. Data from a widely used laboratory test procedure (the earthworm artificial soil toxicity test) for the metals cadmium, copper, lead and zinc has been related to effects on earthworms at polluted sites. This allows the capacity of the test to predict effects on populations and individuals in the field to be assessed. Particular attention has been paid to the influence of soil conditions on the availability and toxicity of the tested chemicals

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Authors
  1. David J. Spurgeon
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Ecotoxicology, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands

    Nico M. van Straalen

  2. Department of Terrestrial Ecology, National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark

    Hans Løkke

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Spurgeon, D.J. (1997). Extrapolation of laboratory toxicity results to the field: a case study using the OECD artificial soil earthworm toxicity test. In: van Straalen, N.M., Løkke, H. (eds) Ecological Risk Assessment of Contaminants in Soil. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6361-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6361-7_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7922-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-6361-7

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