Biological test method for measuring survival of springtails exposed to contaminants in soil: acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

The first edition of this biological test method, published in September 2007, was co-authored by J.A. Miller (Miller Environmental Sciences Inc., King City, Ont.), G.L. Stephenson (AquaTerra Environmental Ltd., Orton, Ont.), and K. Becker-van Slooten (Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, ENAC-ISTE, Ecolé polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland). Dr. D.J. McLeay (McLeay Environmental Ltd., Victoria, B.C.) is sincerely thanked for his contributions on format, structure and text in most sections. J.I. Princz (Soil Toxicology Laboratory, Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, Environment Canada (EC), Ottawa, Ont.) is also thanked for her contributions to many sections of the document. Input from J.B. Sprague (Sprague Associates Ltd., Salt Spring Island, B.C.) with respect to definitions in the Terminology section and statistical guidance for the first edition of this method is gratefully acknowledged. B.A. Zajdlik (Zajdlik & Associates, Rockwood, Ont.) is thanked for his input to the statistical guidance herein on regression analyses.

R.P. Scroggins (Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, EC, Ottawa, Ont.) acted as Scientific Authority for the first edition of this method and provided technical input and direction throughout the work. The studies resulting in the biological test method defined herein for Orthonychiurus folsomi were developed by M. Whelly (Stantec Consulting Ltd; formerly ESG International Inc., Guelph, Ont.) and G.L. Stephenson. Additional studies were directed by Ms. Stephenson, and managed and performed by N.C. Feisthauer and co-workers with Stantec Consulting Ltd. (formerly ESG International Inc.) (Guelph, Ont.). Laboratory assistance was also provided by many undergraduate and graduate students (University of Guelph). Studies related to the development of the biological test method defined herein for Folsomia candida were directed by K. Becker-van Slooten and J. Tarradellas, and managed and performed by S. Campiche (Ecolé polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland), and those related to the development of the Folsomia fimetaria method defined herein were directed by K. Becker-van Slooten and J. Tarradellas, and managed and performed by C. Stämpfli and S. Campiche (Ecolé polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland). P.H. Krogh (National Environmental Research Institute [NERI], Silkeborg, Denmark) is also thanked for compiling performance data for F. fimetaria, and for his input into the method. R. Pandey of Guelph Chemical Laboratories Ltd. (Guelph, Ont.) and V. Marsielle-Kerslake of Analytical Services (University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont.) are thanked for providing assistance on methods for physicochemical analyses.

The interlaboratory studies undertaken to validate the test method described in the first edition were coordinated by J. Princz and performed by the following participating laboratories: Environment Canada’s Atlantic Environment Science Centre (Moncton, N.B.), Environment Canada’s Soil Toxicology Laboratory at the Environmental Science and Technology Centre (Ottawa, Ont.), NRC Biotechnology Research Institute (Montreal, Que.), Golder Associates (formerly EVS Consultants, North Vancouver, B.C.), HydroQual Laboratories Ltd. (Calgary, Alta.), Stantec Consulting Ltd (Guelph, Ont.), Pollutech EnviroQuatics Ltd. (Point Edward, Ont.) and Cantest Laboratories (Vancouver, B.C.). Names of laboratory personnel participating in these tests are provided in the technical report on these studies (EC, 2007b).

We gratefully acknowledge the many useful comments provided by each member of EC’s Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) responsible for initial and final reviews of the first edition of this report, as follows: S. Hopkin (University of Reading, Reading, UK), P.H. Krogh (National Environmental Research Institute, Silkeborg, Denmark), R. Kuperman (U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Ctr., MD, USA), J. McCann (University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont.), L. Posthuma (National Institute of Public Health and Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands), J.I.. Princz, F. Riepert (BBA, Berlin, Germany), J. Römbke (ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Flörsheim, Germany), J. Scott-Fordsmand (National Environmental Research Institute, Silkeborg, Denmark), E. Smit (National Institute of Public Health and Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands), and J.P. Sousa (Dep Zoologia da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal). Contact information for each SAG member is provided in Appendix D. Support and input from various members of the Inter-Governmental Ecotoxicological Testing Group (see Appendix C) is also acknowledged.

In addition to the SAG members who reviewed the first edition of this document, the following people also reviewed the initial and/or final drafts of the first edition and provided useful comments: S. Campiche (Ecolé polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland), E. Canaria (Golder Associates Ltd., North Vancouver, B.C.), N. Feisthauer (Stantec Consulting Ltd., Guelph, Ont.), S. Goudey (HydroQual Laboratories Ltd., Calgary, Alta.), K. O’Halloran (Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand), S. Hendry (Soil Toxicology Laboratory, Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, EC, Ottawa, Ont.), H. Lemieux (Soil Toxicology Laboratory, Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, EC, Ottawa, Ont.), D. McLeay (McLeay Environmental Ltd., Victoria, B.C.), C. Phillips (U.S. Army, RDECOM, Maryland, USA), L. Regier (HydroQual Laboratories Ltd., Calgary, Alta.), M. Schaefer (Zentrum für Umweltforschung und Umwelttechnologie, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany), C. Stämpfli (Ecolé polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland) and C.A.M. van Gestel (Institute of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands).

We would like to give special acknowledgement to Dr. Steve Hopkin, who passed away suddenly in September 2006. Dr. Hopkin was a senior lecturer in zoology at Reading University and a scientific associate in entomology at the Natural History Museum in London. With over 70 published papers and numerous books, Dr. Hopkin had a keen interest in the natural world and in Collembola in particular. Through his passion for nature, Dr. Hopkin also became well-known as an accomplished natural history photographer. His contributions to the study of Collembola are infinite, and his loss is felt throughout the scientific community. We are grateful to Dr. Hopkin for reviewing the first edition of this method as a member of our SAG and for kindly allowing us to reproduce Collembola illustrations from two of his publications.

This (second) edition was prepared by Jennifer Miller (Miller Environmental Sciences Inc., King City, Ont.), with assistance and guidance from Christopher Fraser (Soil Toxicology Laboratory, Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, EC, Ottawa, Ont.) and Rick Scroggins. Studies related to the development of the biological test method defined herein for Proisotoma minuta, carried out at EC’s Soil Toxicology Laboratory, were directed by Juliska Princz and Christopher Fraser, and grateful acknowledgement is made of the following laboratory personnel who participated in these studies: Heather Lemieux, Myriam Malette, Ellyn Ritchie and Ryan Hennessy. Additional thank you to the assistance of our co-op students: Katherine Ades, Emma Bowely, Mathieu Cotu, Sophie Barrett, Felicia Syer, Samantha Howe, Evan Gravely and Nicholas Maya. Thanks also to Lisa Taylor (Manager, Method Development and Applications Unit, Biological Assessment and Standardization Section, EC, Ottawa, Ont.) who acted as Scientific Authority and to Rick Scroggins for providing guidance throughout the preparation of this report. The Biological Assessment and Standardization Section would like to thank Jason Nelson of EcoDynamics Consulting for assisting EC’s Soil Toxicology Laboratory in identifying and collecting most of the field reference and contaminated boreal forest soils, and Dr. Jeff Battigelli for his assistance in taxonomically identifying candidate test species. Finally, we are very appreciative of the unwavering funding support provided by the Program for Energy Research and Development that has enabled the revision of this test method.