Washington State Department of Ecology

Sediment Quality Chemical Criteria

The Sediment Management Standards currently contain two sets of numeric chemical criteria that apply to Puget Sound marine sediments:

The "no effects" level -- the Sediment Quality Standards, WAC 172-204-320 -- used as a sediment quality goal for Washington State sediments (shown below), and
The "minor adverse effects" level -- The Sediment Impact Zone Maximum Level, WAC 173-204-420; and the Sediment Cleanup Screening Level/Minimum Cleanup Level, WAC 173-204-520 -- used as an upper regulatory level for source control and cleanup decision making (shown below).

To understand the context in which the criteria are used, see the Sediment Management Standards regulation.

	Sediment Quality Standards WAC 173-204-320 (a)	Sediment Impact Zone Maximum Level, WAC 173-204-420 (a); and Sediment Cleanup Screening Level/Minimum Cleanup Level, WAC 173-204-520 (a)
CHEMICAL PARAMETER	MG/KG DRY WEIGHT (PARTS PER MILLION (PPM) DRY)	MG/KG DRY WEIGHT (PARTS PER MILLION (PPM) DRY)
ARSENIC	57	93
CADMIUM	5.1	6.7
CHROMIUM	260	270
COPPER	390	390
LEAD	450	530
MERCURY	0.41	0.59
SILVER	6.1	6.1
ZINC	410	960
	MG/KG ORGANIC CARBON (c) (PPM CARBON)	MG/KG ORGANIC CARBON (c) (PPM CARBON)
LPAH (b,d)	370	780
NAPHTHALENE	99	170
ACENAPHTHYLENE	66	66
ACENAPHTHENE	16	57
FLUORENE	23	79
PHENANTHRENE	100	480
ANTHRACENE	220	1200
2-METHYLNAPHTHALENE	38	64
HPAH (b,e)	960	5300
FLUORANTHENE	160	1200
PYRENE	1,000	1400
BENZ(A)ANTHRACENE	110	270
CHRYSENE	110	460
TOTAL BENZOFLUORANTHENES (b,f)	230	450
BENZO(A)PYRENE	99	210
INDENO (1,2,3,-C,D) PYRENE	34	88
DIBENZO (A,H) ANTHRACENE	12	33
BENZO(G,H,I)PERYLENE	31	78
1,2-DICHLOROBENZENE	2.3	2.3
1,4-DICHLOROBENZENE	3.1	9
1,2,4-TRICHLOROBENZENE	0.81	1.8
HEXACHLOROBENZENE	0.38	2.3
DIMETHYL PHTHALATE	53	53
DIETHYL PHTHALATE	61	110
DI-N-BUTYL PHTHALATE	220	1700
BUTYL BENZYL PHTHALATE	4.9	64
BIS (2-ETHYLHEXYL) PHTHALATE	47	78
DI-N-OCTYL PHTHALATE	58	4500
DIBENZOFURAN	15	58
HEXACHLOROBUTADIENE	3.9	6.2
N-NITROSODIPHENYLAMINE	11	11
TOTAL PCBs (b)	12	65
	UG/KG DRY WEIGHT (PARTS PER BILLION (PPB) DRY)	UG/KG DRY WEIGHT (PARTS PER BILLION (PPB) DRY)
PHENOL	420	1200
2-METHYLPHENOL	63	63
4-METHYLPHENOL	670	670
2,4-DIMETHYL PHENOL	29	29
PENTACHLOROPHENOL	360	690
BENZYL ALCOHOL	57	73
BENZOIC ACID	650	650

(a) Where laboratory analysis indicates a chemical is not detected in a sediment sample, the detection limit shall be reported and shall be at or below the Marine Sediment Quality Standards chemical criteria value set in this table.

(b) Where chemical criteria in this table represent the sum of individual compounds or isomers, the following methods shall be applied:

(i) Where chemical analyses identify an undetected value for every individual compound/isomer then the single highest detection limit shall represent the sum of the respective compounds/isomers; and

(ii) Where chemical analyses detect one or more individual compound/isomers, only the detected concentrations will be added to represent the group sum.

(c) The listed chemical parameter criteria represent concentrations in parts per million, "normalized," or expressed, on a total organic carbon basis. To normalize to total organic carbon, the dry weight concentration for each parameter is divided by the decimal fraction representing the percent total organic carbon content of the sediment.

(d) The LPAH criterion represents the sum of the following "low molecular weight polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon" compounds: Naphthalene, Acenaphthylene, Acenaphthene, Fluorene, Phenanthrene, and Anthracene. The LPAH criterion is not the sum of the criteria values for the individual LPAH compounds as listed.

(e) The HPAH criterion represents the sum of the following "high molecular weight polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon" compounds: Fluoranthene, Pyrene, Benz(a)anthracene, Chrysene, Total Benzofluoranthenes, Benzo(a)pyrene, Indeno(1,2,3,-c,d)pyrene, Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, and Benzo(g,h,i)perylene. The HPAH criterion is not the sum of the criteria values for the individual HPAH compounds as listed.

(f) The TOTAL BENZOFLUORANTHENES criterion represents the sum of the concentrations of the "B," "J," and "K" isomers.

If you have questions or comments please contact Peter Adolphson at pado461@ecy.wa.gov

Last updated: October 13, 2008