CATS-1: A model for predicting contaminant accumulation in a meadow ecosystem. The case of cadmium 719103001

CATS-1: A model for predicting contaminant accumulation in a meadow ecosystem. The case of cadmium

[ CATS-1: Een model voor het voorspellen van accumulatie van verontreinigingen in weilanden: Het geval cadmium ]

Traas TP, Aldenberg T

132 p in English 1992

RIVM Rapport 719103001

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English Abstract
A model has been developed for the ecological risk assessment of cadmium accumulation in meadow ecosystems. Foodweb structure is based on functional groups, which implies that variability within the group exists with respect to both physiological and toxicokinetic parameters. A probabilistic treatment of model outputs, e.g. concentrations is used, to account for inherent biological variability and model uncertainty, and to assess ecotoxicological risks. The Maximum Permissible Concentration (MPC) in soil, with regard to protecting 95% of the species, is exceeded at all cadmium load reduction scenarios in 2015 and 2050. Because of the high accumulation of earthworms, environmental standards for cadmium in food of moles and meadowbirds are exceeded at all loading scenarios. The probability that more than 5% of herbivorous species are unprotected against sublethal effects of cadmium, is predicted to be 45% in 2015 and 85% in 2050 at the present cadmium load. This example shows that with CATS models, a broad range of environmental quality standards can be compared in an integrated modelling effort.

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