Publication Summary

Budd Inlet (Inner) was placed on the 1998 303(d) list for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) based on a single grab-composite mussel sample from a culvert at the mouth of Moxlie Creek where it enters East Bay This exceeded the EPA human health criterion of 1.4 µg/Kg (wet weight) which was in effect at the time. Because the 303(d) listing for PCB in Budd Inlet was based on a single sample at Moxlie Creek, this project will provide more intensive sampling to better represent the water segment and to determine if the listing is still warranted.

Budd Inlet (Inner) was placed on the 1998 303(d) list for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) based on a single grab-composite mussel sample from a culvert at the mouth of Moxlie Creek where it enters East Bay The sample was found to have PCBs most closely resembling Aroclor-1254, with a concentration of 21 µg/Kg (wet weight). This exceeded the EPA human health criterion of 1.4 µg/Kg (wet weight) which was in effect at the time.

In 1998 EPA revised their health criteria for PCBs (EPA, 1999). Based on EPA′s reassessment of the cancer potency of PCBs, the new criterion was set at 5.3 µg/Kg (wet weight).

Because the 303(d) listing for PCB in Budd Inlet was based on a single sample at Moxlie Creek as it enters the inlet through a culvert, and in light of the revised criterion, this project will provide more intensive sampling to better represent the water segment and to determine if the listing is still warranted.

Link to EIM data for User Study ID SGOL0004