Extension of biotic ligand model to the prediction of site-specific ecological risk of arsenate in Aliivibrio fischeri and Hordeum vulgare

Abstract

The effectiveness of in situ stabilization in arsenic (As)-contaminated soil, as one of risk mitigation measures, should be evaluated by means of both chemical extractability and biological responses, as chemical analysis alone may not be sufficient to assess the ecotoxicity. Although bioassays are liable and realistic in determining As toxicity in soil, they are time-consuming and costly. As an alternative, a biotic ligand model (BLM) was developed to predict the site-specific toxicity of inorganic arsenate (iAs(V)) in soil porewater by using the bioluminescent bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri. To enhance the accuracy of the BLM, the effects of major cations/anions