Uncertainty estimates

The fixed and relative standard deviation (\(s\) and \(v\)) derived from the ICES data base (extraction date: 10 January 2025) and used to estimate missing uncertainties are tabulated below for biota, sediment and water. The unit only applies to the fixed standard deviation; the relative standard deviation is unitless. The notes at the bottom of each table describe the approach taken when there were insufficient data in the ICES data base to derive the fixed and relative standard deviations.


Biota

group code name unit fixed sd relative sd
Metals AS Arsenic \(\mu\)g/kg 3.1333 0.0642
CD Cadmium \(\mu\)g/kg 0.5269 0.0709
CR Chromium \(\mu\)g/kg 3.0000 0.1468
CO Cobalt \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3000 0.1250
CU Copper \(\mu\)g/kg 3.3333 0.0757
PB Lead \(\mu\)g/kg 2.3333 0.1007
HG Mercury \(\mu\)g/kg 0.4383 0.0820
NI Nickel \(\mu\)g/kg 3.1667 0.1207
SE Selenium \(\mu\)g/kg 3.0360 0.0902
AG Silver \(\mu\)g/kg 1.6500 0.1325
SN Tin \(\mu\)g/kg 3.3333 0.2669
ZN Zinc \(\mu\)g/kg 50.0000 0.0660
Organotins MBSN+ Monobutyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3000 0.2030
MPSN+ Monophenyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3000 0.2030
DBSN+ Dibutyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3000 0.2030
DPSN+ Diphenyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3000 0.2030
TBSN+ Tributyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3000 0.2030
TPSN+ Triphenyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3000 0.2030
PAH parent compounds NAP Naphthalene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1667 0.2210
ACNLE Acenaphthylene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1017 0.2432
ACNE Acenaphthene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0567 0.2352
FLE Fluorene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1033 0.1858
PA Phenanthrene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1318 0.1357
ANT Anthracene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0667 0.2143
DBT Dibenzothiophene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1000 0.2354
FLU Fluoranthene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1667 0.1041
PYR Pyrene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1667 0.1125
BAA Benzo[a]anthracene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0933 0.1710
CHR Chrysene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0828 0.1291
BAP Benzo[a]pyrene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0533 0.1974
BEP Benzo[e]pyrene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1667 0.1051
BBKF Benzo[b,k]fluoranthene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1400 0.1302
DBAHA Dibenz[ah]anthracene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0567 0.1729
PER Perylene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1500 0.2310
BGHIP Benzo[g,h,i]perylene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0567 0.1862
ICDP Indeno[123-cd]pyrene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0633 0.2201
PAH alkylated compounds NAPC1 C1 Naphthalenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.2367 0.1678
NAPC2 C2 Naphthalenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1667 0.1207
NAPC3 C3 Naphthalenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1867 0.1348
NAPC4 C4 Naphthalenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0567 0.1195
PAC1 C1 Phenanthrenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1000 0.1845
PAC2 C2 Phenanthrenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0667 0.1533
PAC3 C3 Phenanthrenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0667 0.2279
DBTC1 C1 Dibenzothiophene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.2500 0.1049
DBTC2 C2 Dibenzothiophene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3383 0.1073
DBTC3 C3 Dibenzothiophenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.4850 0.1071
PAH metabolites NAP2OH 2-hydroxy naphthalene ng/ml 0.2750 0.2000
PA1OH 1-hydroxy phenanthrene ng/ml 0.2750 0.3000
PYR1OH 1-hydroxy pyrene ng/ml 0.2750 0.1500
PYR1OHEQ 1-hydroxy pyrene equivalent \(\mu\)g/ml 0.0000 0.2000
BAP3OH 3-hydroxy benzo(a)pyrene ng/ml 0.2750 0.2000
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers BDE28 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0018 0.2500
BDE47 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0030 0.1431
BDE66 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0013 0.2990
BDE85 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0010 0.2327
BDE99 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0023 0.2181
BD100 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0026 0.1875
BD126 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0023 0.2181
BD153 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0014 0.2266
BD154 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0013 0.2750
BD183 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0026 0.3244
BD209 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0197 0.2718
SBDE6 Sum of BDE 28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0020 0.1412
Organobromines (other) HBCD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0080 0.2550
HBCDA alpha-HBCD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0022 0.2744
HBCDB beta-HBCD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0433 0.2500
HBCDG gamma-HBCD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0233 0.3000
TBBPA Tetrabromobiphenol-A \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0667 0.2500
Organofluorines PFOSD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0300 0.1662
PFOS \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0667 0.1860
SPFAS_2025 Sum of top six PFOA equivalents \(\mu\)g/kg 0.2658 0.1500
Polychlorinated biphenyls CB28 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0267 0.1510
CB52 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0250 0.1451
CB101 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0333 0.1250
CB105 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0054 0.1386
CB118 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0250 0.1300
CB126 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0000 0.1715
CB138 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0333 0.1250
CB153 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0333 0.1262
CB156 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0033 0.1400
CB169 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0001 0.1300
CB180 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0250 0.1500
SCB6 Sum of ICES 6 CBs \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0333 0.1275
SCB7 Sum of ICES 7 CBs \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0333 0.1280
Dioxins CDF2T \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0000 0.1500
CDD1N \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0000 0.1500
TCDD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0000 0.1500
TEQDFP WHO-TEQ (DFP) \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0000 0.1750
Organochlorines (other) DDEPP DDE (p,p’) \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0100 0.1576
DDTOP DDT (o,p’) \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.2625
DDTPP DDT (p,p’) \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0133 0.2415
TDEPP TDE (p,p’) \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.1750
HCB Hexachlorobenzene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0117 0.2000
HCBD Hexachlorobutadiene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0225 0.1546
HCEPX Heptachlor epoxide \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0287 0.2500
HCHA alpha-HCH \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0053 0.2243
HCHB beta-HCH \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.2007
HCHG gamma-HCH \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0120 0.2060
HCH Sum of HCH A B G \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.2000
MCCP Medium chain chlorinated paraffin \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.1417
SCCP Short chain chlorinated paraffin \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.1408
ALD Aldrin \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0065 0.2500
DIELD Dieldrin \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.2000
END Endrin \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0200 0.1252
ISOD Isodrin \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0333 0.1651
OCDAN Oxychlordane \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0025 0.1320
Biological effects (other) ACHE nmol/min/mg protein 0.0000 0.4000
ALAD ng/min/mg protein 0.0000 0.4000
EROD pmol/min/mg protein 0.5055 0.0544
GST nmol/min/mg protein 0.0000 0.2000


  • DBSN+, MBSN+, TPSN+, DPSN+ and MPSN+: \(s\) and \(v\) were imputed from TBSN+
  • PA1OH, BAP3OH: \(s\) was imputed from PYR1OH (few limits of detection in the data base)
  • PA1OH: \(v\) was set to 0.3 (a high but plausible value)
  • NAP2OH: \(s\) and \(v\) were imputed from BAP3OH (no uncertainties or limits of detection in the data base)
  • PYR1OHEQ: \(v\) was set to 0.2 (median value of the other metabolites) and \(s\) was set to 0 (no limits of detection)
  • BD126: \(s\) and \(v\) were imputed from BDE99
  • ACHE: \(v\) was set to 0.4 (median value) and \(s\) was set to 0 (no limits of detection)
  • ALAD: \(v\) was set to 0.4 (median value) and \(s\) was set to 0 (no limits of detection)
  • GST: \(v\) was set to 0.2 (median value) and \(s\) was set to 0 (no limits of detection)
  • Scope for Growth (not tabulated above): this is assessed on the untransformed scale (not the logarithmic scale) and \(s\) and \(v\) were set to 0.1 and 0


Sediment

group code name unit fixed sd relative sd
Metals AS Arsenic mg/kg 0.0667 0.1024
CD Cadmium mg/kg 0.0050 0.1030
CR Chromium mg/kg 0.2333 0.0870
CU Copper mg/kg 0.1000 0.0833
PB Lead mg/kg 0.3000 0.0837
HG Mercury mg/kg 0.0032 0.1009
NI Nickel mg/kg 0.1667 0.0798
ZN Zinc mg/kg 0.2667 0.0755
Organotins MBSN+ Monobutyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1333 0.3000
MPSN+ Monophenyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1333 0.3000
DBSN+ Dibutyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1833 0.2650
DPSN+ Diphenyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1833 0.2650
TBSN+ Tributyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1000 0.2650
TPSN+ Triphenyl tin cation \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1000 0.2650
PAH parent compounds NAP Naphthalene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.4933 0.1533
ACNLE Acenaphthylene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.4967 0.2670
ACNE Acenaphthene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.2933 0.1858
FLE Fluorene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3350 0.2096
PA Phenanthrene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.6333 0.1315
ANT Anthracene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.1773
DBT Dibenzothiophene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1150 0.1009
FLU Fluoranthene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.1200
PYR Pyrene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.1200
BAA Benzo[a]anthracene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.1429
CHR Chrysene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.6667 0.1500
BAP Benzo[a]pyrene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.1832
BEP Benzo[e]pyrene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.4667 0.0963
BBKF Benzo[b,k]fluoranthene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.1554
DBAHA Dibenz[ah]anthracene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.2534
PER Perylene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1383 0.1462
BGHIP Benzo[g,h,i]perylene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.1500
ICDP Indeno[123-cd]pyrene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3333 0.1210
PAH alkylated compounds NAPC1 C1 Naphthalenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.2500 0.1510
NAPC2 C2 Naphthalenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.5200 0.0732
NAPC3 C3 Naphthalenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0833 0.1071
NAPC4 C4 Naphthalenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0333 0.1084
PAC1 C1 Phenanthrenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3800 0.0902
PAC2 C2 Phenanthrenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0967 0.1017
PAC3 C3 Phenanthrenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.3850 0.1342
DBTC1 C1 Dibenzothiophene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0667 0.0944
DBTC2 C2 Dibenzothiophene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.1283 0.1484
DBTC3 C3 Dibenzothiophenes \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0833 0.0717
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers BDE28 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.2538
BDE47 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.1883
BDE66 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0083 0.2310
BDE85 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0083 0.2609
BDE99 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.2000
BD100 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.2120
BD153 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.2472
BD154 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.2385
BD183 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0080 0.3074
BD209 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0333 0.2861
Organobromines (other) HBCD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0233 0.3000
HBCDA alpha-HBCD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0118 0.3279
HBCDB beta-HBCD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0118 0.3950
HBCDG gamma-HBCD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0118 0.3296
Polychlorinated biphenyls CB28 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0200 0.1762
CB52 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0267 0.2066
CB101 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0333 0.2068
CB105 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.1620
CB118 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0267 0.1526
CB138 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0300 0.1537
CB153 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0267 0.1556
CB156 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0022 0.2448
CB180 \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0300 0.1703
Dioxins CDF2T \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0000 0.1575
CDD1N \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0001 0.1575
TCDD \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0000 0.1575
TEQDFP WHO-TEQ (DFP) \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0000 0.1575
Organochlorines (other) DDEPP DDE (p,p’) \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0075 0.2609
DDTOP DDT (o,p’) \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.2000
DDTPP DDT (p,p’) \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.4080
TDEPP TDE (p,p’) \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.3000
HCB Hexachlorobenzene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.3050
HCBD Hexachlorobutadiene \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.4000
HCEPX Heptachlor epoxide \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.3050
HCHA alpha-HCH \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0083 0.2680
HCHB beta-HCH \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0083 0.3640
HCHG gamma-HCH \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.3015
HCH Sum of HCH A B G \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0075 0.3015
ALD Aldrin \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0067 0.3000
DIELD Dieldrin \(\mu\)g/kg 0.0100 0.3608
Normalisers AL Aluminium % 0.0007 0.1165
LI Lithium mg/kg 0.1000 0.1445
CORG Organic Carbon % 0.0100 0.1000


  • MPSN+, DPSN+, TPSN+: \(s\) and \(v\) were imputed from MBSN+, DBSN+ and TBSN+ respectively
  • HCEPX: \(s\) and \(v\) were imputed from HCB
  • DIELD: \(s\) was set to 0.01 (the highest of the other non-summed organochlorines)


Water

group code name unit fixed sd relative sd
Metals CD Cadmium \(\mu\)g/l 0.0033 0.1164
CU Copper \(\mu\)g/l 0.0173 0.0675
PB Lead \(\mu\)g/l 0.0133 0.0880
NI Nickel \(\mu\)g/l 0.0500 0.0824
ZN Zinc \(\mu\)g/l 0.0783 0.0766
Organotins TBSN+ Tributyl tin cation ng/l 0.0233 0.2175
PAH parent compounds NAP Naphthalene ng/l 0.1611 0.1834
ACNLE Acenaphthylene ng/l 0.2000 0.1068
ACNE Acenaphthene ng/l 0.1528 0.1306
FLE Fluorene ng/l 0.1889 0.1295
PA Phenanthrene ng/l 0.2233 0.1095
ANT Anthracene ng/l 0.1444 0.1085
DBT Dibenzothiophene ng/l 0.0001 0.1905
FLU Fluoranthene ng/l 0.0833 0.1250
PYR Pyrene ng/l 0.1444 0.0975
BAA Benzo[a]anthracene ng/l 0.1444 0.1250
CHR Chrysene ng/l 0.1328 0.1351
BAP Benzo[a]pyrene ng/l 0.0667 0.1400
BEP Benzo[e]pyrene ng/l 0.0337 0.1420
BBKF Benzo[b,k]fluoranthene ng/l 0.2278 0.1475
DBAHA Dibenz[ah]anthracene ng/l 0.1611 0.1125
PER Perylene ng/l 0.0222 0.1475
BGHIP Benzo[g,h,i]perylene ng/l 0.0556 0.1071
ICDP Indeno[123-cd]pyrene ng/l 0.1000 0.1351
Organofluorines PFOSD ng/l 0.0033 0.1454
PFOS ng/l 0.0033 0.1454
SPFAS_2025 Sum of top six PFOA equivalents ng/l 0.0033 0.1454
Polychlorinated biphenyls CB28 ng/l 0.0000 0.1250
CB52 ng/l 0.0000 0.1500
CB101 ng/l 0.0000 0.1750
CB118 ng/l 0.0000 0.2000
CB138 ng/l 0.0000 0.1875
CB153 ng/l 0.0000 0.1875
CB180 ng/l 0.0000 0.2500
Organochlorines (other) DDEPP DDE (p,p’) ng/l 0.0000 0.1500
DDTOP DDT (o,p’) ng/l 0.0000 0.2525
DDTPP DDT (p,p’) ng/l 0.0000 0.0770
TDEPP TDE (p,p’) ng/l 0.0000 0.1500
HCB Hexachlorobenzene ng/l 0.0000 0.1375
HCBD Hexachlorobutadiene ng/l 0.0000 0.1500
HCEPX Heptachlor epoxide ng/l 0.0000 0.1375
HCHA alpha-HCH ng/l 0.0000 0.1500
HCHB beta-HCH ng/l 0.0000 0.1320
HCHG gamma-HCH ng/l 0.0000 0.1245
HCH Sum of HCH A B G ng/l 0.0000 0.1163
ALD Aldrin ng/l 0.0000 0.1457
DIELD Dieldrin ng/l 0.0000 0.1500
END Endrin ng/l 0.0000 0.1568
ISOD Isodrin ng/l 0.0000 0.1693
Pesticides ATRZ Atrazine ng/l 0.9217 0.1019
GLYPH Glyphosate ng/l 6.1667 0.2030
IMDCP Imidacloprid ng/l 0.0056 0.1500


  • ACNLE: \(s\) was set to 0.2 (at the high end of the other PAH parent compounds)
  • Polychlorinated biphenyls: \(s\) was set to 0 (few analytical laboratories with widely varying limits of detection)
  • Organochlorines (other): \(s\) was set to 0 (few analytical laboratories with widely varying limits of detection)
  • HCEPX: \(s\) and \(v\) were imputed from HCB (limited data)
  • PFOSD, SPFAS_2025: \(s\) and \(v\) were imputed from PFOS (limited data)