Use of empirical BSAF values in developing human health sediment criteria for nonionic organic chemicals
- Washington State Dept. of Health, Olympia, WA (United States). Office of Toxic Substances
Nonionic organic compounds represent a class of chemicals which are of particular ecological and human health concern due to their persistence, toxicity, and tendency to bioaccumulate. These factors are of particular concern in aquatic environments where sediments act as reservoirs for pollutants. Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of these chemicals by aquatic organisms is important due to potential consumption of contaminated fish and shellfish by humans. Past regulatory efforts focused on bioaccumulation of contaminants from, water rather than from sediments. This approach is problematic in that hydrophobic organics are rarely found in the water column. Efforts are underway nationally to develop sediment criteria aimed at protecting human health based on bioaccumulation from sediments. Locally, Washington State Department of Health is utilizing empirical biota-to-sediment accumulation factors (BSAF) to develop such criteria. In total, over six thousand BSAF values for a variety of aquatic species have been collected, making this the largest compilation of BSAF values. BSAF values were categorized by chemical class and Kow for upper trophic level fish. Chemical-specific or surrogate BSAF based on chemical class and Kow and were assigned to nonionic organics chemicals which were then used to establish sediment criteria. Such criteria could be used to set cleanup levels to protect against further bioaccumulation of contaminants from sediments, to evaluate dredging material for its potential to bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms, and to prevent sediments from becoming contaminated from industrial discharges, all of which is aimed at protecting human health. From a regulatory standpoint, remedial decisions involving carcinogenic compounds are likely to be based largely on human health rather than ecological concerns.
- OSTI ID:
- 398202
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9649%%410
- 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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