Evaluation of the resident-species procedure for developing site-specific water quality criteria for copper in Blaine Creek, Kentucky

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620130615· OSTI ID:7023373

Dobbs, M G; Farris, J L; Cherry, D S; Cairns, J ^[1]; Reash, R J ^[2]

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1. Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Biology
2. American Electric Power Service Corp., Columbus, OH (United States). Environmental Engineering Div.

Acute toxicity tests were performed on each of nine different organisms in Blaine Creek (Lawrence County, KY) water to determine 48-h LC50 values for copper (Cu). Blaine Creek is the receiving stream for Kentucky Power Company's Big Sandy Plant fly-ash pond discharge. Selection of the nine tested species and integration of the results were based on the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) resident-species procedure. The following LC50 ([mu]g Cu/L) values were obtained: Daphnia pulex 37; Physella sp. 109; Isonychia bicolor 223; Pimephales promelas 284; Stenonema sp. 453; Eurycea bislineata 1,120; Chironomus riparius 1,170; Orconectes sp. 2,370; Lepomis macrochirus 4,300. A final acute value (FAV) of 10.1 [mu]g Cu/L was derived using the Blaine Creek database, which is lower than the EPA's national FAV. The differences in FAVs were due to the effect of database size, not differences in the relative sensitivity of test organisms. The findings provide caution for dischargers who may choose to use the resident-species procedure for future site-specific water-quality-criteria demonstrations. The resident-species procedure, because of the inherent conservative bias of the calculation process, tends to produce more stringent criteria when used on a site-specific basis. A modified recalculation procedure, in conduction with site-specific metal bioavailability data, was judged to be the most appropriate method for deriving site-specific Cu criteria for Blaine Creek.

• OSTI ID: 7023373
• Journal Information: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 13:6; ISSN 0730-7268
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
SENSITIVITY
COPPER
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
TOXICITY
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
KENTUCKY
WATER POLLUTION
STREAMS
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
INVERTEBRATES
ANIMALS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
SURFACE WATERS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
200500* - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Environmental Aspects- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology