Water-Quality Benchmarks for the Protection of Aquatic Life: A Review of Methodologies

Degradation of surface water systems by chemicals such as pesticides is a major concern for government regulators, conservationists, and the general public. However, the criteria that are used to protect freshwater aquatic resources may differ across the state, national, and international level. Most organizations (e.g., government, NGOs) use available toxicity data to determine thresholds to protect aquatic systems and their resident organisms. These thresholds are considered water-quality benchmarks, which are simply defined as a value by which measured concentrations can be compared to help evaluate the potential effects of pesticides on water quality.