Aquatic Life Criteria and Methods for Toxics
EPA bases aquatic life criteria on how much of a chemical can be present in surface water before it is likely to harm plant and animal life. EPA designs aquatic life criteria to protect both freshwater and saltwater organisms from short-term and long-term exposure.
Guidelines for Deriving Numerical National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and their Uses
EPA's 1985 Guidelines for Deriving Numerical National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses (the Guidelines) describe a process that uses information form many areas of aquatic toxicology to deriving national criteria for the protection of aquatic ecosystems.
Request for Nominations of Experts to Augment the Science Advisory Board Ecological Processes and Effects Committee to Provide Advice on Methods for Deriving Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life
The EPA, SAB Staff Office is requesting public nominations of scientific experts to augment the SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC) for review of a draft EPA document entitled “Scope and Approach for Revising EPA's Guidelines for Deriving National Water Quality Criteria to Protect Aquatic Life.” The comment period ends September 20, 2016.
- Federal Register Notice (August 30, 2016)
- EPA Science Advisory Board
EPA Activities Related to Revising the Aquatic Life Guidelines
The existing Guidelines for Deriving Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life and Their Uses have not been updated since 1985. Although based on science of that time, the past 30 years have witnessed substantial scientific advancement in aquatic toxicology, aquatic biology, fate, transport, and effects modeling, and ecological risk assessment. Such advancements, coupled with increasing complexity of water quality impairment issues requires criteria derivation approaches beyond the existing Guidelines methods.
EPA has begun the process of revising the existing Guidelines used to derive National Ambient Water Quality Criteria for the protection of aquatic life. EPA will consider new and alternative methods for deriving aquatic life criteria to inform revision of EPA’s existing guidance using the newest most appropriate science available.
Common Effects Methodology for Pesticides
EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) and the Office of Water (OW) assess the effects of pesticides on aquatic ecosystems using approaches that afford a high degree of protection for aquatic life and that were developed with high quality data using rigorously peer-reviewed assessment methodologies. The Agency anticipates merging these approaches toward a common effects methodology.
Contaminants of Emerging Concern Including Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products
It is important for EPA to be able to evaluate the potential impact of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including pharmaceuticals and personal care products PPCPs, on aquatic life and have an approach for determining protective levels for aquatic organisms. CECs and PPCPs are increasingly being detected at low levels in surface water, and there is concern that these compounds may have an impact on aquatic life.