Sediment toxicity database expanded to improve availability of high-quality data

SCCWRP, in association with the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), has completed a major expansion of a publicly accessible database designed to improve environmental managers’ access to high-quality sediment toxicity data when developing sediment management plans and clean-up targets.
The updated Spiked Sediment Toxicity Database, available online at http://data.sccwrp.org/sedag, organizes data from nearly 200 sediment toxicity studies into a searchable database, enabling users to instantly pull up side-by-side information about study test conditions, sediment characteristics, spiking methods and study quality.

The database encompasses 110 different chemicals, as well as toxicity responses for 65 freshwater and marine species. For copper and nickel alone, there are more than 700 results; for pyrethroids, there are more than 1,000 results.

The database update, which was completed in October, will be presented at a national SETAC conference in November.
The database is intended to help managers refine their sediment testing methods and data interpretation tools, as well as facilitate the use of high-quality sediment toxicity data in developing sediment management plans.