ASTM E1688-19
Standard Guide for Determination of the Bioaccumulation of Sediment-Associated Contaminants by Benthic Invertebrates

Standard No.

ASTM E1688-19

Release Date

2019

Published By

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Latest

ASTM E1688-19

Scope

1.1 This guide covers procedures for measuring the bioaccumulation of sediment-associated contaminants by infaunal invertebrates. Marine, estuarine, and freshwater sediments are a major sink for chemicals that sorb preferentially to particles, such as organic compounds with high octanol-waterpartitioning coefficients (Kow) (for example, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)) and many metals. The accumulation of chemicals into whole or bedded sediments (that is, consolidated rather than suspended sediments) reduces their direct bioavailability to pelagic organisms but increases the exposure of benthic organisms. Feeding of pelagic organisms on benthic prey can reintroduce sedimentassociated contaminants into pelagic food webs. The bioaccumulation of sediment-associated contaminants by sedimentdwelling organisms can therefore result in ecological impacts on benthic and pelagic communities and human health from the consumption of contaminated shellfish or pelagic fish. 1.2 Methods of measuring bioaccumulation by infaunal organisms from marine, estuarine, and freshwater sediments containing organic or metal contaminates will be discussed. The procedures are designed to generate quantitative estimates of steady-state tissue residues because data from bioaccumulation tests are often used in ecological or human health risk assessments. Eighty percent of steady-state is used as the general criterion. Because the results from a single or few species are often extrapolated to other species, the procedures are designed to maximize exposure to sediment-associated contaminants so that residues in untested species are not underestimated systematically. A 28-day exposure with sediment-ingesting invertebrates and no supplemental food is recommended as the standard single sampling procedure. Procedures for long-term and kinetic tests are provided for use when 80 % of steady-state will not be obtained within 28 days or when more precise estimates of steady-state tissue residues are required. The procedures are adaptable to shorter exposures and different feeding types. Exposures shorter than 28 days may be used to identify which compounds are bioavailable (that is, bioaccumulation potential) or for testing species that do not live for 28 days in the sediment (for example, certain Chironomus). Non-sediment-ingestors or species requiring supplementary food may be used if the goal is to determine uptake in these particular species because of their importance in ecological or human health risk assessments. However, the results from such species should not be extrapolated to other species. 1.3 Standard test methods are still under development, and much of this guide is based on techniques used in successful studies and expert opinion rather than experimental comparisons of different techniques. Also, relatively few marine/ estuarine (for example, Nereis and Macoma), freshwater (for example, Diporeia and Lumbriculus variegatus) species, and primarily neutral organic compounds provide a substantial portion of the basis for the guide. Nonetheless, sufficient progress has been made in conducting experiments and understanding the factors regulating sediment bioavailability to establish general guidelines for sediment bioaccumulation tests. 1.4 This guide is arranged as follows: Scope 1 Referenced Documents 2 Terminology 3 Summary of Guide 4 Significance and Use 5 Interferences 6 Apparatus 7 Safety Precautions 8 Overlying Water 9 Sediment 10 Test Organisms 11 Experimental Design 12 Procedure 13 Analytical Methodology 14 Data Analysis and Interpretation 15 Keywords Annexes Additional Methods for Predicting Bioaccumulation Annex A1 Determining the Number of Replicates Annex A2 Adequacy of 10-Day and 28-Day Exposures Annex A3 Alternative Test Designs Annex A4 Calculation of Time to Steady-State Annex A5 Special Purpose Exposure Chambers Annex A6 1 This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E50.47 on Biological Effects and Environmental Fate. Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2019. Published April 2020. Originally approved in 1995. Last previous edition approved in 2016 as E1688 – 10(2016). DOI: 10.1520/E1688-19. *A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee. Additional Techniques to Correct for Gut Sediment Annex A7 Guidance For Conducting Sediment Bioaccumulation Tests with the Oligochaete Lumbriculus Variegatus Annex A8 References 1.5 Field-collected sediments may contain toxic materials, including pathogens, and should be treated with caution to minimize exposure to workers. Worker safety must also be considered when using laboratory-dosed sediments containing toxic compounds. 1.6 This guide may involve the use of non-indigenous test species. The accidental establishment of non-indigenous species has resulted in substantial harm to both estuarine and freshwater ecosystems. Adequate precautions must therefore be taken against the accidental release of any non-indigenous test species or associated flora or fauna. 1.7 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precautionary statements are given in Section 8. 1.9 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ASTM E1688-19 Referenced Document

• ASTM D1129 Standard Terminology Relating to Water
• ASTM D4387 Standard Guide for Selecting Grab Sampling Devices for Collecitng Benthic Macroinvertebrates
• ASTM E1022 Standard Guide for Conducting Bioconcentration Tests with Fishes and Saltwater Bivalve Mollusks
• ASTM E1241 Standard Guide for Conducting Early Life-Stage Toxicity Tests with Fishes
• ASTM E1367 Standard Guide for Conducting 10-day Static Sediment Toxicity Tests with Marine and Estuarine Amphipods
• ASTM E1383 
• ASTM E1391 Standard Guide for Collection, Storage, Characterization, and Manipulation of Sediments for Toxicological Testing
• ASTM E1525 Standard Guide for Designing Biological Tests with Sediments
• ASTM E1706 Standard Test Method for Measuring the Toxicity of Sediment-Associated Contaminants with Freshwater Invertebrates*， 2020-04-01 Update
• ASTM E729 Standard Guide for Conducting Acute Toxicity Tests on Test Materials with Fishes, Macroinvertebrates, and Amphibians
• ASTM E943 Standard Terminology Relating to Biological Effects and Environmental Fate*， 2023-06-01 Update

ASTM E1688-19 history

• 2019 ASTM E1688-19 Standard Guide for Determination of the Bioaccumulation of Sediment-Associated Contaminants by Benthic Invertebrates
• 2010 ASTM E1688-10(2016) Standard Guide for Determination of the Bioaccumulation of Sediment-Associated Contaminants by Benthic Invertebrates
• 2010 ASTM E1688-10 Standard Guide for Determination of the Bioaccumulation of Sediment-Associated Contaminants by Benthic Invertebrates
• 2000 ASTM E1688-00a(2007) Standard Guide for Determination of the Bioaccumulation of Sediment-Associated Contaminants by Benthic Invertebrates
• 2000 ASTM E1688-00a Standard Guide for Determination of the Bioaccumulation of Sediment-Associated Contaminants by Benthic Invertebrates