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| Title | Results and Recommendations from Monitoring Arsenic Levels in 303(d) Listed Rivers in Washington | |||
| Month-Year Published | October 2002 | |||
| Online Availability |
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| Short Description |
Based on a review of routine monitoring data and other water quality information, it was recommended that the 1998 303(d) listings for arsenic exceeding human health criteria in the Puyallup, Cowlitz, Spokane, and Columbia rivers should be removed, and that a TMDL should be conducted for arsenic in the lower Yakima River. The other 1998 listings for arsenic are for the Stillaguamish and Similkameen rivers, where TMDL evaluations are currently underway. Water quality data considered for future 303(d) arsenic listings should clearly demonstrate that exceedances of standards are due to anthropogenic, rather than natural, sources and should include some measurement of total inorganic arsenic on which the criteria are based. (Also see abstract below) | |||
| Publication Number | 02-03-045 | |||
| Author(s) | Johnson, A. and S. Golding | |||
| Print Availability | ||||
| Number of pages | 29 pp. | |||
| Keywords | arsenic, Columbia River, monitoring, recommendations, results, river, rule, Total Maximum Daily Load, toxic, toxics, water, water quality | |||
| Subject Waterbodies |
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| Related Publications | Title | Relationship | ||
| Results of Sampling to Verify 303(d) Metals Listings for Selected Washington State Rivers and Creeks | similar topic | |||
| Stillaguamish River Watershed Fecal Coliform, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Mercury, and Arsenic Total Maximum Daily Load Study | similar topic | |||
| Abstract | Long Description |
Recently collected data on arsenic levels in Washington State rivers and streams are analyzed in light of the 1998 303(d) listings for the Stillaguamish, Puyallup, Cowlitz, Yakima, Similkameen, Spokane, and Columbia rivers. The listings were based on historical data showing total recoverable arsenic concentrations exceeded very low EPA National Toxics Rule (NTR) human health criteria of 0.018 and 0.14 ug/L. The NTR criteria are for total inorganic arsenic, which is often the major form of arsenic in surface waters. The recent data suggest that total recoverable arsenic concentrations in local rivers and streams are typically in the range of 0.2 - 1.0 ug/L, while concentrations greater than 2 to 5 ug/L may indicate contamination from anthropogenic sources. Arsenic levels in most 303(d) listed waterbodies are not clearly different from waterbodies that have no apparent sources, and some are comparable to rainwater. It is recommended that 303(d) listings for arsenic be removed for the Puyallup, Cowlitz, Spokane, and Columbia rivers. The listings for the Similkameen and Stillaguamish rivers are currently being addressed through Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies. A TMDL should be conducted for arsenic in the lower Yakima River, where human activity has been shown to be the source of contamination. Water quality data considered for future 303(d) arsenic listings should clearly demonstrate that exceedances of standards are due to anthropogenic, rather than natural, sources and should include some measurement of total inorganic arsenic. |
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