Progress re-evaluating Puget Sound sediment apparent effects threshold values (AETs)
- Washington Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA (United States)
The Puget Sound Dredged Disposal Analysis agencies (US Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency, and Washington Departments of Ecology and Natural Resources) are committed to re-evaluating AETs for Puget Sound sediments, upon which regulatory guideline values and criteria are based. On behalf of the PSDDA agencies, the Department of Ecology used an expanded sediment quality database to calculate 1994 AETs. Those AETs were based on the 10-day Rhepoxinius abronius mortality and 48--96 hour echinoderm larval bioassays. Both abnormality and effective mortality (abnormality + mortality) endpoints were used as indicators of biological effects in the latter test. The echinoderm AETs derived from the abnormality endpoint were more sensitive predictors of significant adverse effects, so those AETs were examined more closely. Results showed most of the 1994 dry weight-normalized amphipod AETs remained the same as 1988 values, but some increased and one decreased. Fewer changes were observed for organic carbon-normalized amphipod AETS. Echinoderm larval abnormality AETs were generally lower than 1986 oyster larval AETS, whether dry weight or organic carbon-normalized. Amphipod values were among the highest and echinoderm values were among the lowest in the suite of Puget Sound AETs. Whether any new AETs lead to corresponding changes to the guideline values used in the PSDDA program or the criteria of the Washington`s Sediment Management Standards (173-204 WAC) will depend on several factors. The new Puget Sound amphipod and echinoderm AETs, some measures of their reliability, and potential changes to sediment quality guidelines and criteria will be presented.
- OSTI ID:
- 197580
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9612%%354
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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