Ecological Surface Water Benchmarks
SADA allows for surface water 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 ratios of exposure concentrations
to selected surface water benchmark values for a given set of contaminants.
References for surface water benchmarks include:
- Ecotox Surface Water (pdf)
OSWER (Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response). 1996. Ecotox Thresholds.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ECO Update 3 (2):1-12.
- EPA WQC
EPA 1999. National Recommended Water Quality Criteria - Correction. Office of Water, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. April. EPA 822-Z-99-001.
- Canada Surface Water Quality Guidelines
for the Protection of Aquatic Life (Word File)
Canadian Council of Resource and Environment Ministers 1987. Canadian water quality guidelines.
Prepared by the Task Force on Water Quality Guidelines.
- Great Lakes Tier II Values
EPA. 40 CFR Parts 9, 122, 123, 131, and 132.
- EPA Region 4
Region 4 Ecological Risk Assessment Bulletins- Supplemental to RAGS
- ORNL Surface Water Benchmarks (pdf)
Suter, G.W. II and C.L. Tsao 1996. Toxicological Benchmarks for Screening Potential
Contaminants of Concern for Effects on Aquatic Biota: 1996 Revision. ES/ER/TM-96/R2. Prepared
for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management.
- ORNL Radionuclide Surface Water (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.
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