Are all ERMs and ERLs created equal: Is an exceedance by an individual PAH a potential risk?

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

OSTI ID:452100

Anderson, P ^[1]; Pavlou, S ^[2]; Titus, E ^[3]

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1. Ogden Environmental and Energy Services, Westford, MA (United States)
2. Ogden Environmental and Energy Services, Kirkland, WA (United States)
3. Ogden Environmental and Energy Services, San Francisco, CA (United States)

One available method to evaluate the potential for concentrations of chemicals in sediments to pose a potential risk to the benthic community, at least on a screening basis, is comparison to ERLs and ERMs. Historically, ERLs and ERMs have been available for mixtures of total, light and heavy PAH. In the past year, ERLs and ERMs have been derived for several individual PAH. This paper identifies some of the possible unintended consequences and inappropriate conclusions that can result when the new ERLs and ERMs are used without regard to their limitations. The limitations arise for several reasons including: the ubiquitous nature of PAH; the varied mixtures from which PAH in sediments may arise; uncertainty in analytical techniques; and, confounding effects of co-occurring chemicals in the samples used to derive ERLs and ERMs for PAH. This paper discusses these limitations and provides guidelines for use of ERLs and ERMs for individual PAH.

• OSTI ID: 452100
• Report Number(s): CONF-961149--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
MONITORING
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
RISK ASSESSMENT
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION