Waterborne and sediment selenium (Se) data, in conjunction with selected physicochemical parameters, were collected from streams of the middle Arkansas River basin, Colorado, USA, to examine the factors affecting sediment Se accumulation in a lotic environment. An empirical model of dissolved-to-sediment Se transfer in western streams, as an interactive function of sediment organic carbon content (R2 = 0.78, p < 0.001, n = 34), was developed and validated. Sediment Se and associated biological effects data were compiled from the literature, to provide an estimate of sediment Se concentration thresholds that have biological effects. Based on this preliminary analysis, sediment Se concentrations of 2.5 ?g/g would be a threshold based [...]
