Experience
Cefas Capabilities in DTA
Cefas has been at the forefront of ecotoxicological testing for over 20 years. We have been heavily involved with the study of a wide range of substances and complex waste streams from industrial processes and provided advice to enable both Government and Industry customers to recommended proportionate control measures to ensure good environmental quality of receiving environments. For example our breadth of experience has enabled us to highlight the effects of chemicals upon the reproduction of aquatic species – leading to studies that enable the Water industry to establish appropriate treatment strategies for the removal of hormones and hormone-like substances from wastewater.
As a member of the DTA Demonstration Programme Steering Group, Cefas played an integral role in the development of the current scheme. We have subsequently successfully conducted DTA for commercial customers and have gained experience of conducting testing at each tier of the scheme.
We also have extensive experience in conducting Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) studies for assessing and controlling the environmental impact of effluents. Examples include:
Oestrogenic steroids and surfactants in sewage effluents
Identification of oestrogenic chemicals in STW effluent I: Chemical fractionation and screening. Desbrow et al., 1998. Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 32: 1549-1558.
Estrogenic Activity Measured in a Sewage Treatment Works which Treats Industrial Inputs Containing High Concentrations of Alkylphenolic Compounds - a case study. Sheahan et al., 2002. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 21, No.3: 507-514.
Oestrogens and oestrogenic activity in raw and treated water in Severn Trent Water. Fawell et al. Water research Vol. 35 No. 5: 1240-1244.
Identifying Pesticides from textiles processing
Assessment of the source of toxicity in treated sewage effluents discharging to the River Aire and Calder system in West Yorkshire, UK. Sheahan et. al. 2005. In: Toxicity reduction and toxicity identification evaluations for effluents, ambient waters, and other aqueous media. Pensacola FL, USA: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). 496 pp.
Identification of toxic contaminants in storm runoff.
Toxicity characterisation of organic contaminants in stormwaters from an Agricultural headwater stream in south east England. Thomas et al., 2001. Water Research, Vol. 35, No. 10: 73-78.
Attributing cause to fish kill episodes
Toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) of Kennet and Avon canal (UK) water following a major fish kill. Thomas et al., 2005. In: Toxicity reduction and toxicity identification evaluations for effluents, ambient waters, and other aqueous media. Pensacola FL, USA: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). 496 pp.
Toxicity Identification in process waste streams
Toxicity Identification Evaluation of produced water discharges into the North Sea. Balaam et al., 2004. SETAC Europe 2004, Prague, Czech Republic, 18-22/04/04
UK DTA programme
The Use of Toxicity Identification Evaluation as part of the UK Direct Toxicity Assessment (DTA) Demonstration Project. Thomas et al., 2005. In: Toxicity reduction and toxicity identification evaluations for effluents, ambient waters, and other aqueous media. Pensacola FL, USA: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). 496 pp.
