Development of a marine biotic ligand model for nickel

生物配体模型（BLM）是一种计算工具，用于一系列基于风险的金属监管方法，包括建立基于生物利用度的环境质量指南和化学品安全注册。 在淡水（FW）环境中，BLM方法已成功地应用于满足金属行业和监管机构的特定场地环境保护目标的成本效益手段。 然而，地球上的大部分水不是淡水。据估计，世界上70%的人口生活在沿海环境中，海水环境中的金属影响可能很大，其来源包括市政/工业废水、建筑材料径流、管道、防污涂料，有时直接来自沿海地区的矿山和辅助设施。到目前为止，软件环境还没有得到像固件环境一样多的研究关注。随着盐度的增加，金属和生物体的化学和生物学都会发生变化。以前的研究，史密斯（PI），NSERC CRD 1授予“走向海洋/河口生物配体模型铜，铅，锌和镍：化学和生物方面”与金属合作伙伴的工业资金，证明了BLM方法是有效的SW。以前的补助金研究了所有四种金属的基本SW特定BLM问题，包括生理机制，化学（物种形成）、有机质的作用和盐度的影响。目前的建议是对这一早期工作的延伸和扩展，特别关注镍（Ni）。虽然第一笔赠款测试了BLM方法在SW中的金属的可行性，但这项新研究实际上将为SW中的Ni开发一个工作BLM。SW中Ni的BLM开发需要详细的Ni特定调查SW中的形态和毒性以及建模专业知识。 开发海洋镍毒性预测工具作为主要的可测量的水化学参数的函数，将有助于监管机构和风险评估人员就加拿大沿海环境中的水管理和镍以及作为加拿大镍主要出口市场的国家做出明智的决定。

The Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) is a computational tool used in a range of risk-based regulatory approaches for metals, including the establishment of bioavailability-based environmental quality guidelines and chemical safety registrations. In freshwater (FW) environments the BLM approach has been successfully applied as a cost effective means of meeting site-specific environmental protection goals for the metals industries and regulatory bodies. However, the majority of water on Earth is not fresh water. It is estimated that 70% of the world's population live in coastal environments and metal impacts in saltwater (SW) environments are potentially significant, with sources from municipal/industrial effluent, building material runoff, plumbing, anti-fouling paints and sometimes directly from mines and auxiliary facilities operating in coastal areas. To date, SW environments have not received as much research attention as FW environments. The chemistry and biology of both metals and organisms change as salinity increases. Previous research, Smith (PI), NSERC CRD1 grant "Towards Marine/Estuarine Biotic Ligand Models for Cu, Pb, Zn and Ni: Chemical and Biological Aspects" with industrial funding from metals partners, demonstrated that BLM approaches are valid in SW. This previous grant studied basic SW-specific BLM issues for all four metals, including physiological mechanisms, chemistry (speciation), role of organic matter, and the influence of salinity. The current proposal is an extension and expansion of this earlier work with a specific focus on nickel (Ni). While the first grant tested the feasibility of BLM approaches for metals in SW, this new research will actually develop a working BLM for Ni in SW. The development of a BLM for Ni in SW requires detailed Ni-specific investigations of speciation and toxicity in SW together with modelling expertise. Development of predictive tools for marine Ni toxicity as a function of major, measurable, water chemistry parameters, will assist regulators and risk assessors to make informed decisions with respect to water management and Ni in coastal environments of Canada as well as in countries which serve as major export markets for Canadian Ni.