&EPA Uaited States Environmcnul F'rotection Agency Office of Water (4304) EPA-822-F-93-003 October, 1993 Fact Sheet Sediment Quality Criteria for the Protection of Benthic Organisms: Phenanthrene AUTHORITY Sediment quality criteria are published pursuant to Section 304(a) of the Clean Water Act and may form the basis for enforceable standards if adopted by a State into water quality standards. The criteria present the U.S. EPA's best recommendation of the concentration of phenanthrene that may be present in sediment while still protecting benthic organisms from its effects. They are developed using an approach described in the "Technical Basis for Deriving Sediment Quality Criteria for Nonionic Organic Contaminants for the Protection of Benthic Organisms by using Equilibrium Partitioning" (EPA-822-R-93-011). BACKGROUND Phenanthrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon naturally present in coal and petroleum, and having some industrial uses. It is also formed as a combustion product. (CAS No. 85-01-8) CRITERIA VALUES * Freshwater benthic organisms should not be affected unacceptably if the concentration of phenanthrene in the sediment never exceeds 180 U Saltwater benthic organisms should not be affected unacceptabley if the concentration of phenanthrene in the sediment never exceeds 240 IMPLEMENTATION INTO STATE STANDARDS Sediment quality criteria may form the basis for enforceable standards if adopted by a State into water quality standards. States may opt to develop site specific criteria (Guidelines for Deriving Site- Specific Sediment Quality Criteria for the Protection of Benthic Organisms, EPA- 822-R-017). Replacement of national criteria with site specific criteria may be necessary if (1) species at the site are more or less sensitive than those included in the national criteria data set or (2) the sediment or chemical quality characteristics at that site alter the bioavailability and consequently the toxicity of the sediment bound chemical predicted by Equilibrium Partitioning (EqP). AVAILABILITY OF DOCUMENT Copies of the criteria document, and other referenced documents, may be obtained from the address below. ------- Sediment Quality Criteria for the Protection of Benthic Organisms: Phenanthrene (EPA-822-R-93-014) Water Resource Center, (RC-4100) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 401 M Street, S.W. Washington, D.C., 20460 For further information please contact: Ms. Mary C. Reiley U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water Ecological Risk Assessment Branch (Mail Code - 4304) 401 M Street, SW Washington, DC 20460 ------- |