u.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
I Fact Sheet
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Current Biennial Review
In conducting the biennial reviews for 2005 and 2007, EPA collected publicly available
information on pollutants. The purpose of reviewing information on pollutants, or potential
pollutants, is to assess the availability and sufficiency of the data to conduct exposure and hazard
assessments. Exposure and hazard assessments, where sufficient data exist, allow the Agency to
determine the potential for harm to public health or the environment following use or disposal of
biosolids. Some of the information generally needed to conduct exposure and hazard assessment
includes the ability to detect and quantify a given pollutant in sewage sludge, acceptable
concentration data in sewage sludge, fate and transport data for pollutants that may be present in
sewage sludge, chemical and physical properties, and toxicity to human and ecological receptors.
The Agency assessed whether data for pollutants were sufficient to conduct an ecological exposure
and hazard assessment.
Results of the Literature Search
During the Agency's search of known databases and the open literature, the Agency
collected and reviewed publicly available information according to standard EPA protocol. There is
not sufficient information at this time on evaluated pollutants to conduct exposure and hazard
assessment for deriving scientifically supportable numerical standards or to determine what
regulatory action might be necessary. At this time, EPA has not identified additional toxic
pollutants for regulation.
Next Steps
The Agency will continue to assess the availability of sufficient information for these and
other pollutants during subsequent biennial reviews pursuant to the CWA section 405(d)(2)(C). In
addition, the Agency is evaluating its process for how future biennial reviews will be conducted.
For example, for future biennial reviews, the Agency is re-evaluating its process of only relying
solely on IRIS or OPP HHBs.
Additional Information
To get more information about the TNSSS, please contact Rick Stevens at (202) 566-1135
or email him at stevens.rick@epa.gov.
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