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Sediment Quality Chemical Criteria

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

  1. 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

  2. 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:  May 19, 2007