Copper ecological risk assessment using DGT technique and PNEC: A case study in the Brazilian coast

Water bodies near shipyard areas are vulnerable to metals stress from antifouling paints (e.g., Cu). Thus, to improve routine monitoring programmes, was effectively evaluated a comprehensive Ecological Risk Assessment by coupling labile Cu (DGT passive sampler) with toxicity data related to site-specific Predicted No Effect Concentration (PNEC). The results indicated an increase in labile Cu and high ecological risk in antifouling paints and vessels accumulation areas.

Spolupracující subjekt: Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences (České Budějovice, Czechia); Oceanography Institute of the Federal University of Rio Grande (Rio Grande, Brazil); Biological Sciences Institute of the Federal University of Rio Grande (Rio Grande, Brazil); and Norwegian Institute for Water Research (Oslo, Norway)

A schematic of the obtained results showing how the coupling of labile Cu concentration data (DGT passive sampler) with toxicity data related to site-specific Predicted No Effect Concentration (PNEC) allowed to observe that vessels under repair and freshly painted boats release labile Cu to the environment which represent an important ecological risk to the water bodies surrounding Brazilian shipyard areas.

Publications: Umbría-Salinas, K., et al. 2021. Journal of Hazardous Material, 403: 123918.