Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

The Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) is a computational tool used in a range of risk-based regulatory approaches for metals, including the establishment of bioavailability-based environmental quality guidelines and chemical safety registrations. In freshwater (FW) environments the BLM approach has been successfully applied as a cost effective means of meeting site-specific environmental protection goals for the metals industries and regulatory bodies. However, the majority of water on Earth is not fresh water. It is estimated that 70% of the world's population live in coastal environments and metal impacts in saltwater (SW) environments are potentially significant, with sources from municipal/industrial effluent, building material runoff, plumbing, anti-fouling paints and sometimes directly from mines and auxiliary facilities operating in coastal areas. To date, SW environments have not received as much research attention as FW environments. The chemistry and biology of both metals and organisms change as salinity increases. Previous research, Smith (PI), NSERC CRD1 grant ""Towards Marine/Estuarine Biotic Ligand Models for Cu, Pb, Zn and Ni: Chemical and Biological Aspects"" with industrial funding from metals partners, demonstrated that BLM approaches are valid in SW. This previous grant studied basic SW-specific BLM issues for all four metals, including physiological mechanisms, chemistry (speciation), role of organic matter, and the influence of salinity. The current proposal is an extension and expansion of this earlier work with a specific focus on nickel (Ni). While the first grant tested the feasibility of BLM approaches for metals in SW, this new research will actually develop a working BLM for Ni in SW. The development of a BLM for Ni in SW requires detailed Ni-specific investigations of speciation and toxicity in SW together with modelling expertise. Development of predictive tools for marine Ni toxicity as a function of major, measurable, water chemistry parameters, will assist regulators and risk assessors to make informed decisions with respect to water management and Ni in coastal environments of Canada as well as in countries which serve as major export markets for Canadian Ni.