Exposure and risk assessment for aluminium and heavy metals in Puerh tea

As the consumption of Puerh tea is booming because of its multiple health-promoting effects, the possible health risks resulting from long-term exposure to metals contained in this tea need to be evaluated. To assess the human risk associated with drinking Puerh tea, concentrations of aluminium, lead, cadmium, mercury, zinc, copper and arsenic were determined in samples of Puerh tea, tea leaves from the plants, and planted soil collected from the Yunnan province, China. Site-specific exposure parameters such as body weight and consumption rate of Puerh tea were investigated in Kunming and Puer cities using face-to-face surveys. Health risks were evaluated for the inhabitants of Kunming and Puer cities by gender and by age groups. Although the Puerh tea plant easily absorbs aluminium from soil, the concentrations of Al and six other elements in Puerh tea were all far below the safety concentration limits of China. Both the HQ (Hazard Quotient) values for single elements and the HI (Hazard Index) value for all seven elements were far below one, indicating no non-carcinogenic risks from these seven elements for inhabitants of Kunming and Puer under the current consumption rates of Puerh tea. However, probabilistic estimation of carcinogenic risk shows that the 95th percentile carcinogenic rate of arsenic in Puerh tea approaches the accepted risk level of 10^− 4 for the highest exposure group. Therefore, the arsenic in Puerh tea is of concern.     

Health risk assessment of heavy metal exposure to street dust in the zinc smelting district, Northeast of China

Heavy metal contamination in the street dust due to metal smelting in the industrial district of Huludao city was investigated. Spatial distribution of Hg, Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu in the street dust was elucidated. Meanwhile, noncancer effect and cancer effect of children and adults due to exposure to the street dust were estimated. The maximum Hg, Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu contents in the street dust are 5.212, 3903, 726.2, 79,869, and 1532 mg kg^− 1, and respectively 141, 181, 6724, 1257 and 77.4 times as high as the background values in soil. The trends for Hg, Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu are similar with higher concentrations trending Huludao zinc plant (HZP). The exponential equation fits quite well for the variations of Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu contents with distance from the pollution sources, but not for Hg. The biggest contribution to street dust is atmospheric deposition due to metal smelting, but traffic density makes slight contribution to heavy metal contamination. According to the calculation on Hazard Index (HI), in the case of noncancer effect, the ingestion of dust particles of children and adults in Huludao city appears to be the route of exposure to street dust that results in a higher risk for heavy metals, followed by dermal contact. The inhalation of resuspended particles through the mouth and nose is almost negligible. The inhalation of Hg vapour as the fourth exposure pathway to street dust is accounting for the main exposure. Children are experiencing the potential health risk due to HI for Pb larger than safe level (1) and Cd close to 1. Besides, cancer risk of Cd due to inhalation exposure is low.     

Toxicity and potential risk assessment of a river polluted by acid mine drainage in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Spain)

Metal contamination from acid mine drainage (AMD) is a serious problem in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, where the Iberian Pyrite Belt is located. This zone contains original sulfide reserves of about 1700 Mt distributed among more than 50 massive sulfide deposits. Weathering of these minerals releases to the waters significant quantities of toxic elements, which severely affect the sediments and surface waters of the region. The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the toxicity and the potential risk associated with the mining areas using Microtox test and different factors which assess the degree of contamination of the sediments and waters. For this, a natural stream polluted by AMD-discharge from an abandoned mine has been studied. The results show that elevated concentrations of Cu, As and Zn involve an important potential risk on the aquatic environment, associated both with sediments and waters. Microtox test informs that the sediments are extremely or very toxic, mainly related to concentrations of Fe, As, Cr, Al, Cd, Cu and Zn. Pollution is mainly transferred to the sediments increasing their potential toxicity. A natural creek affected by AMD can store a huge amount of pollution in its sediments while exhibiting a not very low water pH and low water metal concentration.     

Rose biomass as a potential biosorbent to remove chromium,mercury and zinc from contaminated waters

Rose flowers are used for the extraction of essential oil or rose water. The vast majority of the leftover biomass is generally wasted. The aim of the present study was to analyse the rose flower biomass as a potential biosorbent for metals chromium(III), mercury(II) and zinc(II), to remove them from industrial effluents. A number of variables were analysed, including untreated, acid-treated and base-treated biomass, biomass dosage, metal ion concentration, contact time, and pH. Increase in biomass dosage and metal ion concentration increased biosorption. The pH proved to be a very important factor and all the metals showed high adsorption at slightly acidic to moderately basic pH 6–10. They showed very low uptake at low pH. Contact time had little effect on the adsorption capacity of zinc, but was very crucial in the case of mercury. Base treatment favoured adsorption of mercury and zinc. The adsorption of Cr³⁺, Hg²⁺ and Zn²⁺ on rose biomass can be explained by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms equally well, and the adsorption process followed pseudo second order kinetics. The study suggests that the rose flower biomass can be used in the removal of these metals from contaminated waters employing optimum conditions indicated by the present work.     

Ecological risk assessment in legislation on contaminated soil in The Netherlands

Recently the Dutch soil policy was revised including new rules for the relocation of contaminated soil and dredged soil material. With these rules, new methods for ecotoxicological risk assessment were implemented. One of the new methods is the assessment of the local toxic pressure of mixtures, also known as the ms-PAF- method, based on the Species Sensitivity Distribution concept. The ms-PAF method is applied for risk assessment of spreading of dredged soil material on adjacent land. Its application will possibly be extended to the derivation of local soil quality standards relevant in the context of soil relocation. The application of the local toxic pressure will probably increase the reuse of contaminated soil and dredged soil material and hence will reduce the amounts considered to be unfit for use. With this method, local ecological risk limits are derived using pore water concentrations and effects on water organisms. Pore water concentrations are subsequently transferred to total soil concentrations using empirical relationships. The methodology does not impose upper limits for total soil concentrations. In soils with a high sorption capacity, total soil concentrations that are considered to be acceptable may be several times higher than the current Dutch intervention values. The possible introduction of the ms-PAF method will open the door to local soil relocation with soils containing large amounts of (semi-permanently soil bound) contaminants. Since the ms-PAF method is not yet properly validated, the lack of evidence of ecological effects using models like the ms-PAF method cannot be regarded as an indication for the absence of effects in reality. The Dutch soil quality decree would gain environmental ambition when the ms-PAF method was combined with a realistic upper limit on total soil concentrations. This would prevent contamination of land by means of soil relocation.     

Introducing a method of human health risk evaluation for planning and soil quality management of heavy metal-polluted soils—An example from Grugliasco (Italy)

European governmental institutions, as well as local communities, have recently become aware of the threats arising from soil pollution for the welfare of the population. Humans contact with soils is more likely in urban than in rural areas, and is strongly dependent on land use. Spatial planning and land management may have important impacts on the potential transfer of pollutants from contaminated soils to humans. In the present study, we propose a land use-based method for the evaluation of human health risks arising from heavy metal-contaminated urban soils, addressing in particular the influence of planning measures and land use changes on such risks. The method accounts for the role of the bioavailability of soil metals as a key factor in health risk assessment. In order to increase method applicability, a step-by-step procedure and a calculation tool were elaborated. The method can be used to identify areas in which the current or planned land use is associated with unacceptable health risks and to optimise the allocation of a certain land use to areas that are well suited and where the risks are minimal. A risk index is calculated for the area, taking the land use into consideration, as the sum of the risks from different exposure pathways and different heavy metals. For those areas where risk is identified as unacceptable, alternative planning or management options should be defined to achieve a maximal risk reduction in a cost-effective way. The method is illustrated using the Italian municipality, Grugliasco.     

Validating a rapid assessment framework for screening surface water flood risk

This research evaluates performance of a rapid assessment framework for screening surface water flood risk in urban catchments. Recent advances in modelling have developed fast and computationally efficient cellular automata frameworks which demonstrate promising utility for increasing available evidence to support surface water management, however, questions remain regarding trade‐offs between accuracy and speed for practical application. This study evaluates performance of a rapid assessment framework by comparing results with outputs from an industry standard hydrodynamic model using a case study of St Neots in Cambridgeshire, UK. Results from the case study show that the rapid assessment framework is able to identify and prioritise areas of flood risk and outputs flood depths which correlate above 97% with the industry standard approach. In theory, this finding supports a simplified representation of catchments using cellular automata, and in practice presents an opportunity to apply the framework to develop evidence to support detailed modelling.     

Nematode-based risk assessment of mixture toxicity in a moderately polluted river floodplain in The Netherlands

Heavy metal polluted soils usually contain mixtures of different metals, whereas legislation is derived from concentrations of individual metals. The mixture toxicity of the Dutch floodplain Afferdensche and Deestsche Waarden was estimated to be high (msPAF ranged from 67-94%). Analyses of nematode community based bioindicators (Maturity Index, taxonomic diversity, trophic groups, multivariate analysis, DoFT-sentinels) were used to determine the ecological effects of the mixture toxicity in the floodplain soil. None of the indices indicated direct effects of heavy metals on the nematode community. This can be explained by the high adsorption of heavy metals on organic matter and clay particles resulting in a low bioavailability, and questions the estimation of the toxicity based on total concentrations of heavy metals in such environments. The nematode fauna showed great seasonal variation, which most probably was related to the temporal inundation of the floodplain.     

Exposure and cancer risk assessment for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in the hospitals,Fortaleza-Brazil

The levels of internal and external concentrations of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, as well as occupational risk based on individual exposure to and potential carcinogenic effects of these, were evaluated in eight environments of two hospitals in the city of Fortaleza-CE during September and October of 2009. The results depicted a variation of 1.98–24.87 μg m⁻³ formaldehyde and of 9.38–55.10 μg m⁻³ acetaldehyde; the main sources of emissions were internal. The exposure levels showed values above the allowable limits for some of the environments studied (permissible exposure limits estimated as an 8-h time-weighted average (PEL-TWA)). The estimation of total cancer risk is of a similar magnitude to other studies, and the risk is 12–18% greater for women than men.     

Exposure assessment for swimmers in bathing waters and swimming pools

Bathing water compliant with bathing water legislation may nevertheless contain pathogens to such a level that they pose unacceptable health risks for swimmers. Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment (QMRA) can provide a proper basis for protective measures, but the required data on swimmer exposure are currently limited or lacking. The objective of this study was to collect exposure data for swimmers in fresh water, seawater and swimming pools, i.e. volume of water swallowed and frequency and duration of swimming events.The study related to swimming in 2007, but since the summer of 2007 was wet and this might have biased the results regarding surface water exposure, the study was repeated relating to swimming in 2009, which had a dry and sunny summer. Exposure data were collected through questionnaires administered to approximately 19 000 persons representing the general Dutch population.Questionnaires were completed by 8000 adults of whom 1924 additionally answered the questions for their eldest child (<15 years). The collected data did not differ significantly between 2007 and 2009. The frequency of swimming and the duration of swimming were different for men, women and children and between water types. Differences between men and women were small, but children behaved differently: they swam more often, stayed in the water longer, submerged their heads more often and swallowed more water.Swimming pools were visited most frequently (on average 13-24 times/year) with longest duration of swimming (on average 67-81 min). On average, fresh and seawater sites were visited 6-8 times/year and visits lasted 41-79 min. Dependent on the water type, men swallowed on average 27-34 ml per swimming event, women 18-23 ml, and children 31-51 ml.Data on exposure of swimmers to recreational waters could be obtained by using a questionnaire approach in combination with a test to measure mouthfuls of water for transformation of categorical data to numerical data of swallowed volumes of water. Previous assumptions on swimmer exposure were replaced with estimates of exposure parameters, thus reducing uncertainty in assessing the risk of infection with waterborne pathogens and enabling identification of risk groups. QMRA for Cryptosporidium and Giardia was demonstrated based on data from previous studies on the occurrence of these pathogens in recreational lakes and a swimming pool.     

Health risk from heavy metals via consumption of food crops in the vicinity of Dabaoshan mine, South China

Heavy metal contamination of soils resulting from mining and smelting is causing major concern due to the potential risk involved. This study was designed to investigate the heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd) concentrations in soils and food crops and estimate the potential health risks of metals to humans via consumption of polluted food crops grown at four villages around the Dabaoshan mine, South China. The heavy metal concentrations in paddy and garden soils exceeded the maximum allowable concentrations for Chinese agricultural soil. The paddy soil at Fandong village was heavily contaminated with Cu (703 mg kg^− 1), Zn (1100 mg kg^− 1), Pb (386 mg kg^− 1) and Cd (5.5 mg kg^− 1). Rice tended to accumulated higher Cd and Pb concentration in grain parts. The concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn in vegetables exceeded the maximum permissible concentration in China. Taro grown at the four sampled villages accumulated high concentrations of Zn, Pb and Cd. Bio-accumulation factors for heavy metals in different vegetables showed a trend in the order: Cd > Zn > Cu > Pb. Bio-accumulation factors of heavy metals were significantly higher for leafy than for non-leafy vegetable. The target hazard quotient (THQ) of rice at four sites varied from 0.66-0.89 for Cu, 0.48-0.60 for Zn, 1.43-1.99 for Pb, and 2.61-6.25 for Cd. Estimated daily intake (EDI) and THQs for Cd and Pb of rice and vegetables exceeded the FAO/WHO permissible limit. Heavy metal contamination of food crops grown around the mine posed a great health risk to the local population through consumption of rice and vegetables.     

Environmental risk assessment of zinc in European freshwaters: A critical appraisal

A risk assessment report (RAR) on zinc and zinc compounds has recently been prepared in the framework of the European Union (EU) Council Regulation 793/93/EEC on Existing Chemicals. The EU Scientific Committee on Human and Environmental Risks (SCHER) has, however, expressed some fundamental, science-based concerns about the approach followed and the conclusions. The main objective of the present study was to assess the potential environmental risks associated with current use patterns of Zn in nine EU river basins in Germany, France and Belgium, thereby using more advanced methodologies which are largely in line with the recommendations made by SCHER. This included (i) avoiding working with measured Zn concentrations from monitoring stations that were potentially influenced by point sources and/or historical contamination, (ii) the full bioavailability normalization of all chronic ecotoxicity data to river basin specific physico-chemistry using biotic ligand models (BLM), prior to deriving predicted no effect concentrations (PNEC) with the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) approach, and (iii) the use of a probabilistic framework for risk characterization. Further, a total risk approach instead of an added risk approach was used, and the PNEC was equated to the HC5-50 without an additional assessment factor. Based on monitoring data we estimated predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) for the different EU river basins between 1.3 and 14.6 µg dissolved Zn/L. PNEC values varied between 22.1 and 46.1 µg dissolved Zn/L. This resulted in deterministic risk characterization ratios (RCR) that were below 1 in all river basins, suggesting that there is no deterministic regional risk associated with current use patterns of Zn in these river basins. With the probabilistic approach we identified rather limited risks, i.e., between < 0.4 and 18.3%. When the EU RAR approach was applied to the same monitoring datasets, deterministic risks were found in different river basins. A detailed analysis showed that this different deterministic conclusion of risk is mainly due to the fact that the EU RAR (i) uses an additional assessment factor of 2 to derive the PNEC and (ii) uses a more conservative approach for implementing bioavailability (BioF approach). We argue that the larger conservatism in the EU RAR mainly originates from decisions made to deal in a pragmatic way with (i) uncertainty related to the across-species extrapolation of BLMs and (ii) the relatively high sensitivity of some multi-species toxicity studies.     

Ecological food web analysis for chemical risk assessment

Food web analysis can be a critical component of ecological risk assessment, yet it has received relatively little attention among risk assessors. Food web data are currently used in modeling bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals and, to a limited extent, in the determination of the ecological significance of risks. Achieving more realism in ecological risk assessments requires new analysis tools and models that incorporate accurate information on key receptors in a food web paradigm. Application of food web analysis in risk assessments demands consideration of: 1) different kinds of food webs; 2) definition of trophic guilds; 3) variation in food webs with habitat, space, and time; and 4) issues for basic sampling design and collection of dietary data. The different kinds of food webs include connectance webs, materials flow webs, and functional (or interaction) webs. These three kinds of webs play different roles throughout various phases of an ecological risk assessment, but risk assessors have failed to distinguish among web types. When modeling food webs, choices must be made regarding the level of complexity for the web, assignment of species to trophic guilds, selection of representative species for guilds, use of average diets, the characterization of variation among individuals or guild members within a web, and the spatial and temporal scales/dynamics of webs. Integrating exposure and effects data in ecological models for risk assessment of toxic chemicals relies on coupling food web analysis with bioaccumulation models (e.g., Gobas-type models for fish and their food webs), wildlife exposure models, dose-response models, and population dynamics models.     

Purification of metal electroplating waste waters using zeolites

The sorption behaviour of natural (clinoptilolite) and synthetic (NaP1) zeolites has been studied with respect to Cr(III), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) in order to consider its application to purify metal finishing waste waters. The batch method has been employed using metal concentrations in solution ranged from 10 to 200 mg/l and solid/liquid ratios ranged from 2.5 to 10 g/l. The Langmuir model was found to describe well all sorption processes, allowing to establish metal sorption sequences from which the main retention mechanism involved for each metal has been inferred. Synthetic zeolite exhibited about 10 times greater sorption capacities (b_Cr=0.838 mmol/g, b_Ni=0.342 mmol/g, b_Zn=0.499 mmol/g, b_Cu=0.795 mmol/g, b_Cd=0.452 mmol/g) than natural zeolite (b_Cr=0.079 mmol/g, b_Ni=0.034 mmol/g, b_Zn=0.053 mmol/g, b_Cu=0.093 mmol/g, b_Cd=0.041 mmol/g), appearing, therefore, as most suitable to perform metal waste water purification processes. This mineral showed the same high sorption capacity values when used in the purification of metal electroplating waste waters.     

Ecological risk assessment of urban and industrial systems: a review

Numerous ecological risk assessment methodologies have been developed over the last twenty years around the world for evaluating urban and industrial systems and installations, by both the organisations responsible for implementing regulations and the scientific community. Although these methodologies share the general principle underlying their use, they differ widely with respect to the approaches chosen and the resources employed to apply them. Also, they may even have different objectives: prior assessment as part of an impact study before building a new installation, or retrospective assessment, for example, in view to explaining the reasons for an impact recorded or for forecasting additional expected impacts.This article provides a synthesis of the different approaches used around the world for carrying out each of the major steps common to all ecological risk assessment methodologies. The advantages and limitations of these different options are discussed in order to provide elements for formulating any new methodology adapted to a given scenario. To conclude, perspectives for improving the tools required for these methodologies are proposed, and the research works to which priority should be given are identified.     

路堤震害风险概率评价与管理研究

 路堤震害在破坏性地震中十分普遍,开展路堤震害风险概率评价并提出合理的震害风险管理方法对提高公路抗震能力和区域防灾减灾能力具有重要意义。进行路堤震害等级划分,选取路堤震害损伤参数,建立路堤震害等级与震害损伤参数的对应关系;以连霍高速公路西宝段K1125+470处路堤为例开展基于CPSHA的公路地震危险性评价,基于IDA和PSDA的路堤震害易损性评价以及基于危险性曲线的路堤震害风险概率评价;在明确路堤震害风险可接受度的基础上提出路堤震害风险管理方法,验证挡土墙对提高路堤抗震性能的积极作用。研究结果表明：连霍高速公路西宝段地震危险性评价结果比第四代地震区划图略高,这与目前渭河断陷盆地地震活跃的现实是一致的;PGA(PGA为地震动峰值加速度)达到0.6 g时,路堤超越严重损伤的概率为65.910%,达到0.8 g时,超越严重损伤的概率为99.995%,说明路堤震害易损性较高;路堤未来50 a超越严重损伤的风险概率为36.46%,发生基本完好和轻微损伤的风险概率为28.49%;以路堤未来50 a发生毁坏的风险概率40%为风险可接受度,路堤震害风险管理方法适用于新建路堤的抗震设计和已建路堤的抗震加固;未来50 a有挡土墙路堤超越严重损伤的风险概率比无挡土墙路堤低15.29%,发生基本完好和轻微损伤的风险概率比无挡土墙路堤高15.62%。     

仓储物流场所火灾风险评估

通过仓储物流场所火灾风险评估,研究如何加强和改进新时期仓储物流企业消防安全管理工作。运用古斯塔夫法对仓储物流火灾风险进行综合评价,对典型仓储物流消防安全现状进行分层、定量描述,分析当前建筑物火灾危险度和人员生命财产危险度,依据各分项得分情况,对影响仓储消防安全风险的主要因素进行初步分析,并给出建议对策。结果认为,全区仓储物流企业火灾危险度处于中等水平,需要采取措施降低火灾对建筑本身造成的破坏度,部分人流量较大的企业,则需要进行双重保护,采取措施以降低火灾对人员生命财产造成的破坏度。     

Historical records of heavy metal accumulation in sediments and the relationship with agricultural intensification in the Yangtze-Huaihe region, China

The extensive use of fertilizers on farmlands during the past several decades in China has led to a rapid deterioration of environmental water quality in recent years. An agricultural watershed with high-yield grain production and characterized by multipond systems in the Yangtze-Huaihe region of China was selected to establish the historic records of heavy metal pollution by (137)Cs-dated sediment cores. The experimental results indicated that the contents of most of the heavy metals investigated, such as Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, continuously increased in the multipond sediments throughout the past three decades. An inflection point appeared in the 1980s, prior to which all heavy metal contents showed little or no increase with time. Thereafter, the heavy metal contents increased dramatically due to the extensive application of phosphate fertilizers. The mean Cd content in 1980 was 0.13 microg/g which increased rapidly to 0.33 microg/g in 2004, but prior to 1980, the level was only 0.08 microg/g. Similar trends were also found for other heavy metals. The enrichment factor (EF) values indicated that Cd was not only the most anthropogenic metal in the multipond sediments but also aggravated anthropogenic impacts on the watershed environment during the past two decades. The high proportion of chemical reactive forms of Cd (10%-30%) implied a moderately high ecological risk. Our results clearly reveal that the extensive use of fertilizers has resulted in significant heavy metal pollution in this watershed, which threatens the water quality of the watershed and downstream water bodies.     

Characteristics of trihalomethane (THM) production and associated health risk assessment in swimming pool waters treated with different disinfection methods

Swimming pool water must be treated to prevent infections caused by microbial pathogens. In Korea, the most commonly used disinfection methods include the application of chlorine, ozone/chlorine, and a technique that uses electrochemically generated mixed oxidants (EGMOs). The purpose of this study was to estimate the concentrations of total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in indoor swimming pools adopting these disinfection methods, and to examine the correlations between the concentrations of THMs and TTHMs and other factors affecting the production of THMs. We also estimated the lifetime cancer risks associated with various exposure pathways by THMs in swimming pools. Water samples were collected from 183 indoor swimming pools in Seoul, Korea, and were analyzed for concentrations of each THM, TOC, and the amount of KMnO₄ consumption. The free chlorine residual and the pH of the pool water samples were also measured. The geometric mean concentrations of TTHMs in the swimming pool waters were 32.9 ± 2.4 µg/L for chlorine, 23.3 ± 2.2 µg/L for ozone/chlorine, and 58.2 ± 1.7 µg/L for EGMO. The concentrations of THMs differed significantly among the three treatment methods, and the correlation between THMs and TTHMs and the other factors influencing THMs varied. The lifetime cancer risk estimation showed that, while risks from oral ingestion and dermal exposure to THMs are mostly less than 10^− 6, which is the negligible risk level defined by the US EPA, however swimmers can be at the greater risk from inhalation exposure (7.77 × 10^− 4-1.36 × 10^− 3).     

Probabilistic ecological risk assessment of DDTs in the Bohai Bay based on a food web bioaccumulation model

The fugacity-based food web model was developed to simulate the bioaccumulation of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs) in the aquatic ecosystem in the Bohai Bay. The internal exposure levels (IELs) of DDTs in various organism categories were calculated. Monte Carlo-based uncertainty analysis was performed to get the of IEL distributions of DDTs in organisms. Probabilistic ecological risk assessment (ERA) was performed based on IEL distributions and internal species sensitivity distributions (SSDs). The results show that fugacities and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) generally increased with increasing trophic level in the food web. Octanol-water partition coefficient (K_ow), DDT levels in water and the lipid contents had the greatest influences on IELs in the organism bodies. The ecological risks of DDTs were relatively high. The risk order was p,p′-DDT > p,p′-DDE > p,p′-DDD. At an internal hazard quotient (HQ_int) criterion of 1/5, the risk probabilities were 0.10 (0.055-0.17), 0.079 (0.045-0.13) and 0.053 (0.028-0.092) for p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDD, respectively. The results from ERA based on the internal exposure approximated those based on external exposure. The food web model is a feasible method to predict the extent of bioaccumulation and IELs of hydrophobic organic pollutants in organisms as a step to evaluate their risk posed on aquatic ecosystems.