Water Quality Criteria for Bioaccumulative Substances: A Historical Review and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Bioaccumulative substances challenge conventional aquatic life water quality criteria because their ecological risks are driven primarily by internal tissue residues and food-web transfer rather than dissolved concentrations in water. This review synthesizes current understanding of their bioaccumulation mechanisms, tissue-specific distribution, and trophic transfer behavior in aquatic ecosystems. On this basis, we critically review existing tissue-residue–based water quality criteria approaches, including tissue-based criteria (TBC), tissue residue guidelines (TRGs), and environmental quality standards in biota (EQSbiota), with emphasis on their conceptual frameworks, data requirements, and regulatory applications. By comparing the protein-driven accumulation of PFOS with the lipid-partitioning mechanisms of NBFRs, this review highlights the strengths and limitations of tissue-based approaches in capturing how distinct chemical-biological interactions dictate internal tissue distribution and food-web transfer. Overall, this review provides a scientific basis for selecting appropriate water quality criteria approaches for highly bioaccumulative substances and supports the advancement of tissue-based frameworks in aquatic environmental management and regulation.