This Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) estimates toxicological effects of proposed fog-oil training at Fort Leonard Wood to 4 species: (1) amphibian: green frog, Rana Clamitans, (2) reptile: eastern yellowbelly racer, Coluber constrictor Flaviventris, (3) bird: northern bobwhite, Colinus Virginianus, and (4) bird: American robin, Turdus Migratorius.

Understanding Risk to Wildlife from Exposures to Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) provides the most recent summary of toxicity data relevant to mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, and provides values for use in risk assessment applications. Predicting the bioaccumulation of PFAS in terrestrial wildlife (including humans) has proven to be extremely complex. As a group, PFAS act differently than traditional non-ionic organic molecules, where PFAS can break down and reform, whereas some are demonstrated to be extremely persistent. Where sufficient data are provided, this book establishes toxicity reference values (TRVs), which are derived to assist in characterizing environmental sources of contamination and making risk-based decisions. Features: Provides toxicity reference values (TRVs) for vertebrates (mammals, birds, amphibians) for PFAS, where sufficient data are available, and includes objective supporting background information. Assigns a level of confidence to each TRV to provide the risk assessor with an understanding of the relative uncertainty associated with each value. Presents toxicity data in the formats of scatter diagrams and tables for quick review and assessment. Provides TRVs relevant for screening and decision making This book serves as a useful aid for risk assessors and managers in those industries that have sites contaminated with PFAS, consultants tasked with evaluating risks at such sites, and staff at regulatory agencies at various governmental levels, who need to know how much contamination is considered safe for wildlife. It will also appeal to researchers with an interest in filling the gaps in the current toxicological data for PFAS exposure.

Wildlife Toxicity Assessments for Chemicals of Military Concern is a compendium of chemical-specific toxicity information with discussions on the rationale and development of Wildlife Toxicity Reference Values (TRVs) intended for use on terrestrial wildlife for risk assessment applications. Substances covered include military-related chemicals including explosives, propellants, pesticides and metals. Wildlife Toxicity Assessments for Chemicals of Military Concern is a much-needed resource designed to meet the needs of those seeking toxicological information for ecological risk assessment purposes. Each chapter targets a specific chemical and considers the current knowledge of the toxicological impacts of chemicals to terrestrial wildlife including mammalian, avian, amphibian and reptilian species.

This report presents a general model for exposure of terrestrial wildlife to contaminants (Sect. 2), methods for estimating parameters of the model (Sect. 3), species specific parameters for endpoint species on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) (Sect. 4), and a sample application (Sect. 5). Exposure can be defined as the coincidence in both space and time of a receptor and a stressor, such that the receptor and stressor come into contact and interact (Risk Assessment Forum 1992). In the context of ecological risk assessment, receptors include all endpoint species or communities identified for a site [see Suter (1989) and Suter et al. (1994) for discussions of ecological endpoints for waste sites]. In the context of waste site assessments, stressors are chemical contaminations, and the contact and interaction are uptake of the contaminant by the receptor. Without sufficient exposure of the receptor to the contaminants, there is no ecological risk. Unlike some other endpoint assemblages, terrestrial wildlife are significantly exposed to contaminants in multiple media. They may drink or swim in contaminated water, ingest contaminated food and soil, and breath contaminated air. In addition, because most wildlife are mobile, moving among and within habitats, exposure is not restricted to a single location. They may integrate contamination from several spatially discrete sources. Therefore, exposure models for terrestrial wildlife must include multiple media. This document provides models and parameters for estimating exposure of birds and mammals. Reptiles and amphibians are not considered because few data exist with which to assess exposure to these organisms. In addition, because toxicological data are scarce for both classes, evaluation of the significance of exposure estimates is problematic. However, the general exposure estimation procedure developed herein for birds and mammals is applicable to reptiles and amphibians. Exposure models must be appropriate to the assessment endpoints. The models presented herein are models of the exposure of individual organisms, but except for threatened and endangered species, all the wildlife endpoints for the ORR are for populations (Suter et al. 1994). The use of organism exposures is appropriate because of the need to integrate exposure estimates with exposure-response information which is expressed as organism-level responses. The conversion of individual exposure to population effects occurs in the risk characterization. Conceptually, the conversion of organism-level exposures to the population level can be made in two ways. First, it may be assumed that there is a distinct population on the site so that the exposure of the population is the exposure of all the individuals. This assumption is appropriate for small organisms on large sites, particularly if the site constitutes a distinct habitat that is surrounded by inappropriate habitat. For example, a grassy site surrounded by forest or industrial development might support a distinct population of voles. The risks to that population can be estimated directly from the exposures of the individual organisms. Second, it may be assumed that a certain number of individuals are exposed to contaminants out of a larger population. For example, a certain proportion of a deer herd may forage on a site or a pair of hawks may hunt on a site. The estimated exposure of these individuals will result in estimation of certain effects on those individuals, and the resulting population risks will need to be characterized. In either case, the organism level exposure models are appropriate.

A variety of smokes and obscurants have been developed and used to screen armed forces from view, signal friendly forces, and mark positions. Smokes are produced by burning or vaporizing particular products. Obscurants are anthropogenic or naturally occurring particles suspended in the air. They block or weaken transmission of particular parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as visible and infrared radiation or microwaves. Fog, mist, and dust are examples of natural obscurants. White phosphorus and hexachloroethane smokes are examples of anthropogenic obscurants. The U.S. Army seeks to reduce the likelihood that exposure to smokes and obscurants during training would have adverse health effects on military personnel or civilians. To protect the health of exposed individuals, the Office of the Army Surgeon General requested that the National Research Council (NRC) independently review data on the toxicity of smokes and obscurants and recommend exposure guidance levels for military personnel in training and for the general public residing or working near military-training facilities.

This is the first exhaustive review of literature on marine insects, which are defined in this volume as those that spend at least part of their life in association with the marine environment. Not only are true insects, such as the Collembola and insect parasites of marine birds and mammals, considered, but also other kinds of intertidal air-breathing arthropods, notably spiders, scorpions, mites, centipedes and millipedes, which live and feed with, or even on, the insects of marine habitats. The chapters, written by leading authorities, are divided into two sections, the first treating primarily ecological aspects, the second dealing with major groups of insects in marine environments.

This open access multi-authored book presents a 'state of the science' synthesis of knowledge on the biodiversity of Angola, based on sources in peer-reviewed journals, in books and where appropriate, unpublished official reports. The book identifies Angola as one of the most biologically diverse countries in Africa, but notes that its fauna, flora, habitats and the processes that drive the dynamics of its ecosystems are still very poorly researched and documented. This 'state of the science' synthesis is for the use of all students of Angola's biodiversity, and for those responsible for the planning, development and sustainable management of the country's living resources. The volume brings together the results of expeditions and research undertaken in Angola since the late eighteenth century, with emphasis on work conducted in the four decades since Angola's independence in 1975. The individual chapters have been written by leaders in their fields, and reviewed by peers familiar with the region.