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2.3.         Evidence for chemical pollution causing ecological effects

The established way of identifying clear links between a chemical and its effect on organisms is through concentration-response relationships, for example by comparing an organism’s health response with increasing concentrations of a chemical. As it is impossible to assess the sensitivity of all organisms to all pollutants, assessment factors are applied to accommodate for uncertainties and data gaps, including chronic effects. Where an EQS has not been established for a substance, experimentally-derived effect concentrations may be compared with estimated or measured environmental concentrations (figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2: Individual chemical risk assessment is based on comparison of single chemicals concentrations in the environment with standards