Ecological Risk Assessment

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Time: October 1-3, 2007

Place: University of Kuopio, Kuopio (Maps and connections)

Tietoteknia (the building number 13 on the map)

Credits: 2.0 credit points

Language: English

Organizer: Environmental Risk Assessment Centre (ERAC)

Course leader: Sari Makkonen, Ph.D, University of Kuopio, Department of Environmental Science, Kuopio

Course description:

Ecological risk assessment (ERA) is a process of collecting, organizing, and analyzing environmental data
to estimate the risk of contamination for nonhuman organisms, populations, or ecosystems. The course will
provide an introduction to the basic methods used in ecological risk assessment at contaminated sites on the
first day. Day two of the course will be used to get familiar with modelling and the use of ecological field
data in the context of river basins. On the third day we will focus on the TRIAD approach, which is used for ERA
of contaminated soils.

Topics:

Ecological Risk Assessment framework
- screening level
- problem formulation
- exposure and toxicity assessment
- risk characterization and uncertainty analysis
Probabilistic Ecological Risk Assessment (e.g. Species Sensitivity Distributions)
Understand how to conduct a stochastic risk assessment
- collect and evaluate ecological field data from river large basins;
- perform and analyze stochastic modelling based on a Monte Carlo approach
TRIAD approach

Lecturers:

Miranda Mesman
Laboratory for Ecological Risk Assessment
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

Michael J. Friedel, Ph.D
U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Lakewood Colorado, USA

Further information: Sari.Makkonen(at)uku.fi, Tel. +358-17-163188

Registration: Fill in the online registration form by September 24, 2007.

Time schedule:

Date	Lecture
Monday, October 1
Tietoteknia, 1035	Miranda Mesman
9-10	Introduction to ecological risk assessment
	- Principles & concepts; Risk assessment context; Purpose; Applications
10-11	Framework for ecological risk assessment
	- Problem formulation; Exposure and toxicity analysis; Risk characterization
11-12	Exposure assessment
	- Exposure models; Bioavailability
12-13	Lunch
13-15	Probabilistic ERA
	- SSD theory; e-toxbase
15-16	Exercise Probabilistic ERA
Tuesday, October 2
Tietoteknia, 1037	Michael J. Friedel
9-10	Sampling Sites
10-11	Ecological risk modelling
11-12	Probable effects of urbanization on ecological integrity (water quality)
12-13	Lunch
13-14	Hands-on: Crystal ball; Assign/evaluate random variable
14-16	Hands-on:* Modelling reproductive inhibition in trout –
	compare and contrast deterministic versus stochastic;
	* Modelling effects of urbanization on ecological integrity –
	normalization of fish and macro invertebrate metrics
Wednesday, October 3
Tietoteknia, 1035	Miranda Mesman
9-10	TRIAD approach
	- Explanation of approach; Bioassays; Ecological observations; Case study
10-12	TRIAD exercises
12-13	Lunch
13-15	Wrap-up, time for discussion

Handouts and exercises:

Material can be found from here (password required)

References:

Posthuma, L., Suter II, G.W., Traas, T.P. (eds.) (2002) Species Sensitivity Distributions in Ecotoxicology.
Lewis Publishers CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, US.

Suter II, G.W. (ed.) (2006) Ecological Risk Assessment (Second edition).
CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, Florida, US.

http://www.e-toxbase.com

ETX-software (to make SSD’s):
http://www.rivm.nl/bibliotheek/rapporten/601501028.html

Jensen, J. and Mesman, M. (eds.) (2006). Ecological Risk Assessment of Contaminated Land.
Decision support for site-specific investigations. RIVM, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.

The electronic version of the book:
http://www.dmu.dk/International/About+NERI/Departments/Terrestrial+Ecology/Section+of+Soil+Fauna+and+Ecotoxicology/Liberation/Liberation+Book/DSS+Chapters/DSS+Chapters.htm

Friedel, M. J., 2006, Urbanization effects on ecological integrity in the Upper Illinois River Basin, USA.
In: Baba, A., Howard, K.W.F., and Gunduz, O. (eds), 2006, Groundwater and Ecosystems, NATO Science Series,
IV. Earth and Environmental Sciences – vol. 70, Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 71-92
http://www.springer.com/west/home/geosciences?SGWID=4-10006-22-157537121-detailsPage=ppmmedia|toc

Friedel, M.J., 2004, Stochastic modeling of the effects that Sulphur Gulch Reservoir may have on Colorado River
quantity and salinity near Grand Junction, Colorado. U.S. Geological Survey, Science Investigation Report 2004-5253, 62 p.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2004/5253/pdf/Friedel.text508new.pdf

Friedel, M. J., 1998, Upper Illinois River Basin, National Water Quality Assessment study unit,
U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet, FS-072-98, 4 pp.
http://il.water.usgs.gov/nawqa/uirb/pubs/reports/FS-072-98/index.html

Participants: (Updated 24.10.2007)

Pauliina Ahtoniemi, University of Kuopio, Kuopio
Jani Bergström, Geological Survey of Finland, Kuopio
Mikko Happo, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio
Anne Holma, Finnish Environment Institute, Kuopio
Reetta Hurri, University of Kuopio, Kuopio
Niina Hyvönen, University of Kuopio, Kuopio
Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, University of Kuopio, Kuopio
Pasi Jalava, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio
Virpi Kollanus, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio
Mari Murtomaa, University of Oulu, Oulu
Anne-Marja Nerg, University of Kuopio, Kuopio
Harri Niska, University of Kuopio, Kuopio
Hannu Poutiainen, University of Kuopio, Kuopio
Päivi Roivainen, University of Kuopio, Kuopio
Soile Saastamoinen, Geological Survey of Finland, Kuopio
Jaana Sorvari, Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki
Juha Pekkanen, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio
Peter Sorjonen-Warel, Geological Survey of Finland, Kuopio
Matti Viluksela, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio
Tommi Kauppila, Geological Survey of Finland, Kuopio
Auri Koivuhuhta, Geological Survey of Finland, Kuopio
Maria Nikkarinen, Geological Survey of Finland, Kuopio
Anna Tornivaara, Geological Survey of Finland, Kuopio
Ray Johnson, US Geological Survey
Miranda Loh, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio