The Ecological Effects Component of FRAMES correlates simulated, modeled, or measured ecological constituent levels (e.g., concentration, body burden, dose) with toxicological benchmarks and provides a statistical analysis of this comparison.

Ecological Effects takes in Ecological Benchmark Database data and time-varying constituent concentrations from Surface Water and connects to an ecological exposure component of FRAMES.

Ecological Effects module produces two types of output each for time-varying concentrations and/or doses/body burdens. The two forms of outputs are as follows: 

1. When consuming information from a WCF, WEAP shall produce a table, computing acute (e.g., #96-hr) and chronic exposures (e.g., >96-hr), for percentage of time that a time series of concentrations, doses, or body burdens are:
   • below an acceptable limit (e.g., Chronic Limit, Criterion Continuous Concentration [CCC], No Observable Effects Level [NOEL], No Observable Adverse Effects Level [NOAEL], etc.) 
   • above an unacceptable limit (e.g., exposure duration curves associated with Lethal Concentration for 50% mortality [LC-50], Lethal Dose for 50% mortality [LD-50], Effective Dose at 50% [ED-50], etc.) 
   • in between acceptable and unacceptable limits. This table will result in a maximum of six values. 
2.  When consuming information from a WCF, WEAP shall produce a table reporting Probability of Exceedence, based on Period of Record (i.e., assumed equal to Exposure Duration) versus Concentration: probability that concentration will be equal to or greater than a selected value.\
3. When consuming a BBF, WEAP shall produce a table reporting Ecological Hazard Quotient (EHQ) versus time. EHQ is defined as ratio of the body burden to a benchmark dose. 
4. When consuming an BBF, WEAP shall produce a table reporting Probability of Exceedence, based on Period of Record (i.e., assumed equal to Exposure Duration) versus EHQ: probability that an EHQ will be equal to or greater than a selected value. 
5. When consuming an BBF, WEAP shall produce a table reporting Probability of Exceedence, based on Period of Record (i.e., assumed equal to Exposure Duration) versus Dose or Body Burden: probability that the dose/body burden will be equal to or greater than a selected value.

TYPICALLY CONSUMES . . .

• Input from user
• GLOBAL INPUT DATA (GID) FILE
• BODY BURDEN FILE (BBF)
• WATER CONCENTRATION FILE (WCF)

TYPICALLY PRODUCES . . .

Ecological Effects statistically analyzes time-varying water-column concentrations and compares these results to ecological benchmarks to determine health impacts to selected lifeforms. It tabularizes percentage of time that a lifeform is associated with an ecological health impact region for a given chemical, based on:

1. time-varying water-column concentrations, 
2. an impact-toxicity benchmark curve (e.g., percent mortality LC curve), and 
3. lower acceptable limit curve.