The “Ecological Node-Food Web” based ecological risk assessment

Traditional aquatic ecological risk assessments are often constrained by a heavy reliance on extensive toxicological data and a limited consideration of interspecies interactions. To address these limitations, this study proposes a novel framework: the "ecological node-food web" method. This approach establishes dose-response relationships between pollutants and ecosystem-level toxicity endpoints by integrating toxicological data from key "ecological node" species with food web modeling. Results demonstrate that data from a few key nodes can effectively mimic ecosystem-wide responses to pollutants. Compared to conventional methods, this approach reduces the need for extensive datasets, enhances cost-effectiveness, and elucidates risk mechanisms through changes in community structure. The method ultimately enables the derivation of scientifically robust ecological risk thresholds.