Spatial Analysis and Decision Assistance

>Ecological Sediment Benchmarks

SADA allows for sediment ecological benchmark retrieval and provides ratios of contaminant concentrations to benchmark values. These ratios can be provided on a point by point basis for visual display, determining cleanup areas, or locating additional samples. Alternatively, the ratios can be provided for each contaminant in a defined area using a representative summary statistic. The below figure shows screening results based on ratios of exposure concentrations to selected surface water benchmark values for a given set of contaminants.

• NOAA SQUIRT

  NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). 1999. Sediment Quality Guidelines developed for the National Status and Trends Program. pdf

• Ecotox Sediment (pdf)

  OSWER (Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response). 1996. Ecotox Thresholds. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ECO Update 3 (2):1-12.

• NOAA Sediment

  NOAA National Status and Trends Program. Sediment Quality Guidelines. As presented on NOAA webpage on 4/26/2000. (Values for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, Ag, total DDT, total PCBs, and total PAH obtained from this source.)

  Long, E. R., D. D. MacDonald, S. L. Smith, and F. D. Calder. 1995. "Incidence of Adverse Biological Effects within Ranges of Chemical Concentrations in Marine and Estuarine Sediments", Environmental Management.19: 81-97. (Values for metals and organics not listed in other NOAA sources were obtained from this source.)

  Long, E. R. and L. G. Morgan. 1991. The Potential for Biological Effects of Sediment-Sorbed Contaminants Tested in the National Status and Trends Program, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Tech. Memorandum NOS OMA 52, August 1991. Seattle, Washington. (Values for DDD, DDT, Antimony, Chlordane, Dieldrin, and Endrin were from this source.)

• Canada Sediment Quality Guidelines (pdf)

  Canadian Council of Ministers of the Envrionment 1995. Protocol for the derivation of Canadian sediment quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. CCME EPC-98E. Prepared by Environment Canada, Guidelines Division, Technical Secretariat of CCME Task Group on Water Quality guidelines, Ottawa. [reprinted in Canadian environmental qulaity guidelines, Chapter 6, Canadian Council of Ministers of the environment, 1999, Winnipeg.]

  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 1994. Technical guidance for screening contaminated sediments. Prepared by the Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Division of Marine Resources, November 22, 1993. New York.

  Persaud, D., R. Jaagumagi, and A. Hayton 1993. Guidelines for the protection and management of aquatic sediment quality in Ontario. Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources Branch, Toronto.

• Great Lakes (ARCS USEPA Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments Program)

  EPA 1996. Calculation and Evaluation of Sediment Effect Concentrations for the Amphipod Hyallela azteca and the Midge Chironomus riparius. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Program Office, Chicago, IL. EPA 905-R96-008.

• Ontario Sediment Quality Guidelines

  Persaud, D., R. Jaagumagi, and A. Hayton 1993. Guidelines for the protection and management of aquatic sediment quality in Ontario. Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources Branch, Toronto.

• EPA Region 4

  Region 4 Ecological Risk Assessment Bulletins- Supplemental to RAGS

• ORNL Sediment Benchmarks (pdf)

  Jones, D. S., G. W. Suter II, and R. N. Hull. 1997. Toxicological Benchmarks for Screening Contaminants of Potential Concern for Effects on Sediment Associated Biota: 1997 Revision. ES/ER/TM-95-R4. Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management.

• ORNL Radionuclide Sediment (pdf)

  Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC 1998. Radiological benchmarks for Screening Contaminants of Potential Concern for Effects on Aquatic Biota at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. BJC/OR-80. Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management.

• Florida Department of Environmental Protection

  MacDonald, D.D. 1994. Approach to the Assessment of Sediment Quality in Florida Coastal Waters. Office of Water Policy, Florida DEP, Tallahassee, FL.