A weight‐of‐evidence approach for Northern river risk assessment: Integrating the effects of multiple stressors
Abstract Northern river ecosystems are subject to a variety of stressors having multifaceted (and sometimes opposing) effects, making interpretation at a regional scale difficult. We have addressed this problem by using a weight‐of‐evidence approach that combines analysis of field data (to determine...
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crwiley:10.1002/etc.5620190452 2024-06-23T07:51:00+00:00 A weight‐of‐evidence approach for Northern river risk assessment: Integrating the effects of multiple stressors Lowell, Richard B. Culp, Joseph M. Dubé, Monique G. 2000 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620190452 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fetc.5620190452 https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/etc.5620190452 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry volume 19, issue 4, page 1182-1190 ISSN 0730-7268 1552-8618 journal-article 2000 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620190452 2024-06-13T04:22:52Z Abstract Northern river ecosystems are subject to a variety of stressors having multifaceted (and sometimes opposing) effects, making interpretation at a regional scale difficult. We have addressed this problem by using a weight‐of‐evidence approach that combines analysis of field data (to determine patterns) with experimental hypothesis testing (to determine mechanisms). Two of the more important sources of aquatic impacts in western Canada are pulp mill and municipal effluents. Their regional impacts on benthic biota were evaluated for two major river systems, the Thompson and Athabasca rivers, using an integrative approach. In the more southerly Thompson River, several lines of evidence (including field and laboratory experiments, field sampling over a 20‐year period, and isotopic analysis) led to the conclusion that, although some toxic effects were apparent, these effects were usually masked by the (sometimes excessive) nutrient enhancement effects of these effluents, sometimes via novel pathways. Furthermore, analysis of the data revealed a fairly delicate balance in effluent treatment involving trade‐offs between the negative effects of toxic contaminant loading versus a switch to a more eutrophic community. In the more northerly Athabasca River, effluent effects can be modified by the added impact of another stressor: widespread winter freeze‐up, which prevents reaeration of oxygen‐depleted waters, coupled with low dissolved oxygen levels in the substratum where benthic invertebrates are found, resulting in a net shift in effluent effect from one of nutrient enhancement to a more inhibitory effect. Advantages to applying formalized causal criteria, as outlined in this weight‐of‐evidence approach, include helping to tie together diverse assemblages of data on the effects of multiple stressors and identifying important informational gaps, thus making ecological risk assessments more rigorous and robust. Article in Journal/Newspaper Athabasca River Wiley Online Library Athabasca River Canada Thompson River ENVELOPE(-104.268,-104.268,57.334,57.334) Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19 4 1182 1190 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Northern river ecosystems are subject to a variety of stressors having multifaceted (and sometimes opposing) effects, making interpretation at a regional scale difficult. We have addressed this problem by using a weight‐of‐evidence approach that combines analysis of field data (to determine patterns) with experimental hypothesis testing (to determine mechanisms). Two of the more important sources of aquatic impacts in western Canada are pulp mill and municipal effluents. Their regional impacts on benthic biota were evaluated for two major river systems, the Thompson and Athabasca rivers, using an integrative approach. In the more southerly Thompson River, several lines of evidence (including field and laboratory experiments, field sampling over a 20‐year period, and isotopic analysis) led to the conclusion that, although some toxic effects were apparent, these effects were usually masked by the (sometimes excessive) nutrient enhancement effects of these effluents, sometimes via novel pathways. Furthermore, analysis of the data revealed a fairly delicate balance in effluent treatment involving trade‐offs between the negative effects of toxic contaminant loading versus a switch to a more eutrophic community. In the more northerly Athabasca River, effluent effects can be modified by the added impact of another stressor: widespread winter freeze‐up, which prevents reaeration of oxygen‐depleted waters, coupled with low dissolved oxygen levels in the substratum where benthic invertebrates are found, resulting in a net shift in effluent effect from one of nutrient enhancement to a more inhibitory effect. Advantages to applying formalized causal criteria, as outlined in this weight‐of‐evidence approach, include helping to tie together diverse assemblages of data on the effects of multiple stressors and identifying important informational gaps, thus making ecological risk assessments more rigorous and robust. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lowell, Richard B. Culp, Joseph M. Dubé, Monique G. |
spellingShingle |
Lowell, Richard B. Culp, Joseph M. Dubé, Monique G. A weight‐of‐evidence approach for Northern river risk assessment: Integrating the effects of multiple stressors |
author_facet |
Lowell, Richard B. Culp, Joseph M. Dubé, Monique G. |
author_sort |
Lowell, Richard B. |
title |
A weight‐of‐evidence approach for Northern river risk assessment: Integrating the effects of multiple stressors |
title_short |
A weight‐of‐evidence approach for Northern river risk assessment: Integrating the effects of multiple stressors |
title_full |
A weight‐of‐evidence approach for Northern river risk assessment: Integrating the effects of multiple stressors |
title_fullStr |
A weight‐of‐evidence approach for Northern river risk assessment: Integrating the effects of multiple stressors |
title_full_unstemmed |
A weight‐of‐evidence approach for Northern river risk assessment: Integrating the effects of multiple stressors |
title_sort |
weight‐of‐evidence approach for northern river risk assessment: integrating the effects of multiple stressors |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2000 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620190452 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fetc.5620190452 https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/etc.5620190452 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-104.268,-104.268,57.334,57.334) |
geographic |
Athabasca River Canada Thompson River |
geographic_facet |
Athabasca River Canada Thompson River |
genre |
Athabasca River |
genre_facet |
Athabasca River |
op_source |
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry volume 19, issue 4, page 1182-1190 ISSN 0730-7268 1552-8618 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620190452 |
container_title |
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry |
container_volume |
19 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
1182 |
op_container_end_page |
1190 |
_version_ |
1802642002318196736 |