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à seuil

English translation: substances with a toxic effects threshold

15:34 Apr 25, 2020
French to English translations [PRO]
Science - Science (general) / Water quality
French term or phrase: à seuil
Found in a report on the quality of drinking water in France. Specifically, this is describing the development of guideline values used by the World Health Organisation.

The full sentence is "Pour les substances avec effets toxiques à seuil, la valeur guide pour l'eau est calculée en tenant compte du poids corporel et de la consommation en eau de la population cible"

Although "seuil" most often translates to "threshold", the use of "à seuil" has stumped me in this sentence.

Any suggestions gratefully received!
Frances Wicks
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:53
English translation:substances with a toxic effects threshold
Explanation:
translating "à seuil" on its own in some kind of splendid isolation is pointless - you have to look at the whole term.

substances avec effets toxiques à seuil

the "threshold" is a property of the "substances" and relates to the toxic effects produced by these substances in concentrations above the "threshold"

few samples:
The data show that for copper (cover and Fig. 2) most of the samples did not exceed the Overall Apparent Effects Threshold of toxic effects on organisms, reported by Long and Morgan, 1990. The two most concentrated samples from NOAA National Standards and Trends monitoring program stations fall close to the mean and median values (50% mark on the cumulative curve). The lowest toxic effects threshold, ER-L, OAET threshold values, and the central tendency of concentrations was within the range of the NOAA NS&T monitoring stations.

https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1991/0331/report.pdf


TEC Threshold Effects Concentration
TEL Threshold Effects Limit
TET Toxic Effects Threshold
TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load
USGS United States Geological Survey
WER Water Effects Ratio

PEC - Probable effects concentration - Consensus-based (Macdonald et al, 2000): The consensus-based PEC incorporates the following SQGs (when available): Probable effects level (PEL), Severe effects level (SEL), Toxic effects threshold (TET), ERM and PEL for 28 day Hyalella azteca toxicity test (PEL-HA28). Consensus based PECs were calculated by determining the geometric mean of 3 or more of the sediment quality guidelines that were available for a chemical.
https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/TMDL/DocLib_Northeas...

The concentrations of unionized ammonia among reference site sediments ranged from less than 0.001-0.074 mg/L in the overlying water, and from 0.003-0.145 mg/L in the pore water (Table 9). These concentrations are below the toxic effects threshold for Eohaustorius estuarius survival (1.15 mg/L NH 3 ). Therefore ammonia did not cause the toxicity to the amphipods.

http://ftp.sccwrp.org/pub/download/DOCUMENTS/TechnicalReport...

etc etc

more relevant samples:

https://www.google.com/search?q="toxic effects threshold"
Selected response from:

Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:53
Grading comment
Thanks very much! A lot of useful info there
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3substances with a toxic effects threshold
Daryo
3 +2toxic threshold effects
Sheri P
3 +1with/having threshold
Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
4 -1borderline
Katarina Peters
Summary of reference entries provided
see
liz askew

Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
with/having threshold


Explanation:
For substances with/having threshold toxic effects,

Juan Arturo Blackmore Zerón
Mexico
Local time: 18:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Eliza Hall: "For substances that have toxic effects above a threshold,..."
1 hr
  -> Gracias Eliza!
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
toxic threshold effects


Explanation:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threshold_effect

Sheri P
United States
Local time: 19:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Eliza Hall: "For substances that have toxic effects above a threshold,..."
1 hr
agree  Johannes Gleim: https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effet_de_seuil
5 hrs
neutral  SafeTex: I'll add a point to the discussion but I have doubts about the word order
5 hrs
agree  Chris Pr: With "threshold toxic effects"...
7 hrs
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: Word order: threshold toxic effects
8 hrs
disagree  Daryo: wrong word order
8 hrs
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
borderline


Explanation:
borderline toxic effects

Katarina Peters
Canada
Local time: 19:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Eliza Hall: That makes it sound like it means "almost toxic." This is about the threshold above which a substance becomes toxic.
1 hr
  -> OK.
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
substances avec effets toxiques à seuil
substances with a toxic effects threshold


Explanation:
translating "à seuil" on its own in some kind of splendid isolation is pointless - you have to look at the whole term.

substances avec effets toxiques à seuil

the "threshold" is a property of the "substances" and relates to the toxic effects produced by these substances in concentrations above the "threshold"

few samples:
The data show that for copper (cover and Fig. 2) most of the samples did not exceed the Overall Apparent Effects Threshold of toxic effects on organisms, reported by Long and Morgan, 1990. The two most concentrated samples from NOAA National Standards and Trends monitoring program stations fall close to the mean and median values (50% mark on the cumulative curve). The lowest toxic effects threshold, ER-L, OAET threshold values, and the central tendency of concentrations was within the range of the NOAA NS&T monitoring stations.

https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1991/0331/report.pdf


TEC Threshold Effects Concentration
TEL Threshold Effects Limit
TET Toxic Effects Threshold
TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load
USGS United States Geological Survey
WER Water Effects Ratio

PEC - Probable effects concentration - Consensus-based (Macdonald et al, 2000): The consensus-based PEC incorporates the following SQGs (when available): Probable effects level (PEL), Severe effects level (SEL), Toxic effects threshold (TET), ERM and PEL for 28 day Hyalella azteca toxicity test (PEL-HA28). Consensus based PECs were calculated by determining the geometric mean of 3 or more of the sediment quality guidelines that were available for a chemical.
https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/TMDL/DocLib_Northeas...

The concentrations of unionized ammonia among reference site sediments ranged from less than 0.001-0.074 mg/L in the overlying water, and from 0.003-0.145 mg/L in the pore water (Table 9). These concentrations are below the toxic effects threshold for Eohaustorius estuarius survival (1.15 mg/L NH 3 ). Therefore ammonia did not cause the toxicity to the amphipods.

http://ftp.sccwrp.org/pub/download/DOCUMENTS/TechnicalReport...

etc etc

more relevant samples:

https://www.google.com/search?q="toxic effects threshold"


Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:53
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks very much! A lot of useful info there

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  SafeTex: Possible "effect" in the singular which also gets around 6k of hits
6 hrs
  -> I thought about that, but finally left it in plural. Thanks!
agree  Tony M: Exactly! Some substances are toxic at ANY level (cf. polonium), but here, we are talking about those substances that have a threshold below which they are not toxic — may indeed be therapeutic!
9 hrs
  -> yes, and conversely even the most useful substances (like water or oxygen) can turn into poison depending on the concentration. Thanks!
agree  Philippe Barré
1 day 5 hrs
  -> Merci!
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Reference comments


1 hr peer agreement (net): +2
Reference: see

Reference information:
25 Pa. Code § 16.32. Threshold level toxic effects.www.pacodeandbulletin.gov › chapter16 › s16.32.html
For these effects there exists a dose below which no adverse response will occur. Threshold toxic effects include most systemic effects and developmental ...

liz askew
United Kingdom
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
Note to reference poster
Asker: Thank you this was really helpful!


Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Tony M
20 mins
agree  Daryo
6 hrs
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