ABSTRACT
Integrated monitoring goes beyond, for instance, chemical analyses, biomarkers or whole- organism measures and tests. It is defined as a combination of chemical analyses, experimentation (e.g., toxicity tests, mesocosms) and observation (e.g., measures of resident community structure, biomarkers), with overall conclusions derived from a preponderance (or “weight”) of evidence approach. Critical factors for the success of integrated monitoring include choice of suitable, appropriate reactive and proactive components and reference area comparisons. Both of these are more likely to be site- and situation-specific than generic. Environmental effects monitoring (EEM) programs comprise integrated monitoring and, although still in development, are a hopeful trend away from limited, single-component monitoring. Major future improvements to integrated monitoring programs are expected to and should include new, less subjective methods for deriving overall conclusions and appropriate use of new, “trendy” tools whose utility is still arguable (e.g., biomarkers) without excluding established, proven components (e.g., laboratory toxicity tests). Perhaps the greatest expectation (and need, if facts are to triumph over perceptions and politics) is that the results of integrated monitoring programs will eventually drive the regulations rather than the reverse.
