What are Biotic Ligand Models?

In contrast to generic quality standards, BLMs incorporate chemical speciation in the assessment of ecotoxicological risks for aquatic species. The water composition is taken into account, including competing (an)ions, organic matter and pH. These are used to calculate site-specific risks, based on bioavailability of metals.

Deltares is a leading, independent, non-profit research institute and specialist consultancy for water, soil and the subsurface. We apply our expertise to develop delta areas, coastal zones and river basins.
We conduct advanced research and provide specialist advisory services for government authorities and the corporate sector in The Netherlands and around the world. 
We develop, apply, and share our knowledge by collaborating with universities and other scientific institutes. Deltares has over 850 employees and is based in Delft and Utrecht, The Netherlands, with offices around the world. 

When is water quality sufficient?

PNEC-pro V6 is a fast and user-friendly tool that provides quick screening of monitoring data, based on local availability rather than total concentrations of metals. 
For a more in-depth analysis of the ecosystem, the “full-BLM procedures” should be used. This step includes detailed chemical speciation calculation at the site of interest, based on local water characteristics. This provides the possibility to construct species sensitivity distributions (SSD) for a large range of aquatic species.
Detailed analysis for a large number of water types was performed, on a geographical and seasonal scale, covering the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
Click here to download the analysis, or contact us for more information.