Bioaccumulation, the accumulation of a chemical in an organism relative to its level in the ambient medium, is of major environmental concern. Thus, monitoring chemical concentrations in biota are widely and increasingly used for assessing the chemical status of aquatic ecosystems. In this paper, various scientific and regulatory aspects of bioaccumulation in aquatic systems and the relevant critical issues are discussed. Monitoring chemical concentrations in biota can be used for compliance checking with regulatory directives, for identification of chemical sources or event-related environmental risk assessment. Assessing bioaccumulation in the field is challenging since many factors have to be considered that can affect the accumulation of a chemical in an organism. Passive sampling can complement biota monitoring since samplers with standardised partition properties can be used over a wide temporal and geographical range. Bioaccumulation is also assessed for regulation of chemicals of environmental concern whereby mainly data from laboratory studies on fish bioaccumulation are used. Field data can, however, provide additional important information for regulators. Strategies for bioaccumulation assessment still need to be harmonised for different regulations and groups of chemicals. To create awareness for critical issues and to mutually benefit from technical expertise and scientific findings, communication between risk assessment and monitoring communities needs to be improved. Scientists can support the establishment of new monitoring programs for bioaccumulation, e.g. in the frame of the amended European Environmental Quality Standard Directive.

Deltares PO Box 85467 3508 AL Utrecht The Netherlands ; Masaryk University Recetox Kamenice 753 5 A29 62 500 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Aquatic Toxicology Pathology Bavarian Environment Agency Demollstr 31 82407 Wielenbach Germany

Department of Ecological Chemistry UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Permoserstraße 15 04318 Leipzig Germany

Department of Ecotoxicology Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Auf dem Aberg 1 57392 Schmallenberg Germany

Department of Environmental Engineering Technical University of Denmark DK 2800 Kongens Lyngby Denmark

Department of Qualitative Hydrology Federal Institute of Hydrology Am Mainzer Tor 1 56068 Koblenz Germany

Department of Questions of Principle of Water Management Water Quality of Surface and Ground Water Water Supply Ministry for Climate Protection Environment Agriculture Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection of the German State of North Rhine Westphalia Schwannstraße 3 40476 Düsseldorf Germany

Department of the Environmental Specimen Bank and Elemental Analysis Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Auf dem Aberg 1 57392 Schmallenberg Germany

German Federal Environment Agency Am Wörlitzer Platz 1 06844 Dessau Germany

Lower Saxony Water Management Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency An der Scharlake 39 31135 Hildesheim Germany

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