Ecotoxicological hazard assessment of complex mixtures -- rationals and applications

The basic aim of this paper is to outline the place and the role of Ecotoxicological Hazard Assessment (EHA) as part of environmental risk management of complex mixtures. The relevance of ecotoxicological values to be covered in such an approach is first discussed. Essentially, EHA is based on a series of laboratory data related to the source, fate and effects which are integrated into a scoring system. The general process including exploratory, descriptive and assessment activities is also examined. This process, adopted in the ecotoxicological assessment framework, allows the assessor to be aware of considerations specific to each situation. On the other hand, typical endpoints (measurement and assessment) supporting the ecotoxicological values are discussed with an emphasis on the necessary links between endpoints. Finally, current applications of EHA are presented to demonstrate adaptability of the process in different cases.