Ecotox Thresholds: Ecological screening level benchmarks for Superfund sites

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:367501

Miller, J E ^[1]; Schulten, J A ^[2]

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1. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States)
2. Parsons Engineering Science, Inc., Tampa, FL (United States)

Ecological risk assessments (ERA) in the Superfund program require USEPA to estimate the likelihood that adverse effects will occur as a result of exposure to the release of a hazardous substance (OSWER Dir. No. 9285.7-17, Aug 12, 1994). The Superfund ERA process encourages using a preliminary risk calculation (PRC) to determine which of the many contaminants found on-site may pose a threat to ecological receptors. A hazard quotient is used in the PRC to compare site concentrations to ecotoxicological benchmarks. Exceeding the benchmark indicates the need for further site investigation and focuses the attention of the assessment on the appropriate chemicals of concern. The Superfund program has produced a list of ecotoxicological benchmarks, called Ecotox Thresholds (ETs). Methods developed by other USEPA programs and other governmental agencies were used to generate media specific (soil, water and sediment) concentrations deemed to be protective for ecological receptors. For those contaminants whose toxicity is governed by media-specific physical/chemical properties (pH, hardness, etc.), software has been developed to generate site-specific ET values. Ecotox Thresholds provide the Superfund program with an efficient and consistent tool to evaluate ecological risks.

• OSTI ID: 367501
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
BENCHMARKS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
REMEDIAL ACTION
RISK ASSESSMENT
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
US SUPERFUND