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MARINE RISK ASSESSMENT<br />

of different types of aquatic organisms). There<strong>for</strong>e, both a bioconcentration factor (BCF)<br />

<strong>and</strong> a biomagnification factor (BMF1) are used to calculate Cfish. Note that <strong>for</strong> the BCFfish<br />

also in<strong>for</strong>mation <strong>for</strong> other organisms such as mussels may be considered.<br />

3. risks to marine top predators: The risk to marine top-predators is calculated as the ratio<br />

between the concentration in their food (marine predators) <strong>and</strong> the no-effect concentration<br />

<strong>for</strong> oral intake (PNECoraltop predator). Since very hydrophobic substances may biomagnify in<br />

the tissue <strong>and</strong> organs of the predator, <strong>for</strong> the calculation of the internal concentration of the<br />

predator an additional biomagnification factor (BMF2) must be applied. Note that no<br />

additional BMF factor <strong>for</strong> the top predator itself is required since the comparison between<br />

PECoral <strong>and</strong> PNECoral is not based on internal concentrations but on intake rates.<br />

Marine water<br />

Marine food<br />

Fish<br />

C fish from<br />

BCF <strong>and</strong> BMF 1<br />

Figure 16: Secondary poisoning food chain<br />

It is realised that food chains of the marine environment can be very long <strong>and</strong> complex <strong>and</strong> may<br />

consist of 5 or more trophic levels. The possible extent of bioaccumulation in marine food chains<br />

with more than the above three to four trophic levels should be evaluated case by case if<br />

necessary input data <strong>for</strong> such an evaluation is available, using the principles <strong>for</strong> the shorter food<br />

chain. Also if further data are available it may be possible to refine the assessment of secondary<br />

poisoning via marine food chains by employing more advanced modelling that takes the<br />

differences in <strong>for</strong> instance uptake <strong>and</strong> metabolic rates into account <strong>for</strong> the different trophic<br />

levels.<br />

In the relatively simple food chain given above the concentration in the fish (i.e. the food <strong>for</strong> the<br />

fish-eater) ideally should take account of all possible exposure routes, but in most instances this<br />

will not be possible because it is not clear what contribution each potential exposure route makes<br />

to the overall body burden of a contaminant in fish species. There<strong>for</strong>e <strong>for</strong> very hydrophobic<br />

substances a simple correction factor <strong>for</strong> potential biomagnification on top of the bioconcentration<br />

through the water phase is applied.<br />

Calculation of PEC in food of predators<br />

The actual calculation of the concentration of a chemical in the food of the predators <strong>and</strong> top<br />

predators will include the following steps:<br />

PECoral, predator = PECseawater<br />

⋅ BCF fish<br />

Predator<br />

C predator from<br />

C fish <strong>and</strong> BMF 2<br />

⋅ BMF<br />

PECoral, toppredator<br />

= PECoral,<br />

predator ⋅ BMF2<br />

= PECwater<br />

⋅ BCF fish<br />

1<br />

Top - predator<br />

⋅ BMF ⋅ BMF<br />

1<br />

2<br />

(89)<br />

(90)<br />

159

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