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Applicable state standards, EPA water quality criteria, FDA action levels, and EPA screening values.

Parameter

Standard, Criteria, Action Level, or Screening Valuea

Reference

 

Water temperature     (Added heat)

State standard class B (WW)

No increase >3°C Increase <1°C/hr          No increase above 32°C

IAC, p. 9, sec. 61.3(3)b(5)

 

pH

State standard classes A, B, and C

6.5–9.0

IAC, pp. 8–9a; sec. 61.3(3)a(2);

 

 

 

 

sec. 61.3(3)b(2); and sec. 61.3(3)c(3)

 

 

 

EPA CCC criteria, freshwaterb

6.5–9.0

EPA-822-Z-99-001

 

 

EPA criteria, domestic water supply

5–9

“Gold Book”

 

Dissolved oxygen

State standard classes B (WW)

>5.0 mg/l

IAC, p. 8, sec. 61.3(3)b(1)

 

 

EPA criterion, freshwater aquatic lifec

>5.00 mg/l

FR, June 24, 1986, p. 22978; “Gold Book”

 

Gases, total

EPA criterion, freshwater aquatic life

110%

“Gold Book”

 

saturation

 

 

 

 

Parameter

Standard, Criteria, Action Level, or Screening Value

Reference

 

Ammonia

State standard classes B (WW)d

see Table

IAC, p. 8, sec. 61.3(3)b(3)

 

(as N)

EPA criteria, freshwater aquatic life

see Table

EPA-822-R-99-014

 

NO2 (as N)

EPA criterion, domestic water supply

State standard class C

1 mg/l

1 mg/l

FR, January 30, 1991, p. 3526

IAC, p. 9a, sec. 61.3(3)c

 

NO2 + NO3

State standard class C

10.0 mg/l

IAC, p. 9a, sec. 61.3(3)c

 

(as N)

EPA criterion, domestic water supply

10.0 mg/l

“Gold Book”; FR, Jan. 30, 1991, p. 3528

 

Total nitrogen

(as N)

EPA Ecoregion VI, subregion WCBP nutrient criteria

     lakes and reservoirs

     rivers and streams

 

 

           0.963 mg/l

             2.62 mg/l



EPA-822-B-00-008
EPA-822-B-00-017

 

Total phosphorous

(as P)

EPA Ecoregion VI, subregion WCBP nutrient criteria

     lakes and reservoirs

     rivers and streams

 

 

             0.06 mg/l

             0.12 mg/l



EPA-822-B-00-008
EPA-822-B-00-017

 

Corrected chlorophyll a

 

EPA Ecoregion VI, subregion WCBP nutrient criteria

     lakes and reservoirs

     rivers and streams

14.6 mg/m3 (µg/l)

7.85 mg/m3 (µg/l)

 

 

EPA-822-B-00-008

EPA-822-B-00-017

 

Turbidity

EPA Ecoregion VI, subregion WCBP nutrient criteria

     rivers and streams

 

 

             15 NTU



EPA-822-B-00-017

 

Secchi depth

EPA Ecoregion VI, subregion WCBP nutrient criteria

     lakes and reservoirs

 

 

             1.23 m



EPA-822-B-00-008

 

Parameter

Standard, Criteria, Action Level, or Screening Value

Reference

 

Cadmium

State standard class B (WW)d

15 µg/l

IAC, p. 8c, sec. 61.3(3)c

 

 

State standard class C

5 µg/l

IAC, p. 8c, sec. 61.3(3)c

 

 

EPA criterion, domestic water supply

5 µg/l

FR, Jan. 30, 1991, p. 3536

 

 

EPA continuous criterion, freshwaterb,e

0.53 µg/l

EPA-822-R-01-001

 

 

EPA maximum criterion, freshwatere,f

5.41 µg/l

EPA-822-R-01-001

 

Copper

State standard class B (WW)d

35 µg/l

IAC, p. 8c, sec. 61.3(3)b(3)

 

 

State standard class C

1,000 µg/l

IAC, p. 8c, sec. 61.3(3)c

 

 

EPA CCC criterion, fresh waterb,e

19.6 µg/l

EPA-822-Z-99-001

 

 

EPA CMC criterion, freshwatere,f

31.9 µg/l

EPA-822-Z-99-001

 

 

EPA criterion, domestic water supplyg

1,300 µg/l

FR, June 7, 1991, p. 26471

 

Lead

State standard class B (WW)d

State standard class C

EPA criterion, human health

EPA CCC criterion, freshwaterb,e

EPA CMC criterion, freshwatere,f

EPA criterion, domestic water supplyg

30 µg/l

50 µg/l

50 µg/l

6.7 µg/l

172 µg/l

5 µg/l

IAC, p. 9a, sec. 61.3(3)c

IAC, p. 9a, sec. 61.3(3)c

“Gold Book”

EPA-822-Z-99-001

EPA-822-Z-99-001

FR, June 7, 1991, p. 26471

 

Parameter

Standard, Criteria, Action Level, or Screening Value

Reference

 

Mercury

State standard classes B (WW)d

0.05 µg/l

IAC, p. 9a, sec. 61.3(3)c

 

 

State standard class C

2 µg/l

IAC, p. 9a, sec. 61.3(3)c

 

 

EPA criterion, human health

0.144 µg/l

“Gold Book”

 

 

EPA CCC criterion, freshwaterb,e

0.77 µg/l

EPA-822-Z-99-001

 

 

EPA CMC criterion, freshwatere,f

1.4 µg/l

EPA-822-Z-99-001

 

Fecal coliform

State standard class A (Apr 1–Oct 31)h

200 organisms/

IAC, p. 8, sec. 61.3(3)a(1)

 

bacteria

 

100 ml

 

 

Escherichia coli bacteria

EPA criterion, recreational bathing

126/100 ml

EPA-4405-84-002

 

Mercury in

FDA action level for food fish

1.0 ppm as

FDA

 

fish flesh

 

methyl mercury

 

 

 

EPA screening value (1 in 10-5 risk)

0.6 ppm

U.S. EPA

 

in whole fish

NAS/NAE guideline

0.5 ppm

NAS/NAE

 

Dieldrin in

FDA action level for food fish

300 ppb

FDA

 

fish flesh

EPA screening value (1 in 10-5 risk)

7 ppb

U.S. EPA

 

Heptachlor epoxide in fish

FDA action level for food fish

300 ppb

FDA

 

flesh

EPA screening value (1 in 10-5 risk)

10 ppb

U.S. EPA

 

Chlordane in

FDA action level for food fish

300 ppb

FDA

 

fish flesh

EPA screening value (1 in 10-5 risk)

80 ppb

U.S. EPA

 

Parameter

Standard, Criteria, Action Level, or Screening Value

Reference

 

Chlorpyrifos in fish flesh

EPA screening value (1 in 10-5 risk)

30,000 ppb

U.S. EPA

 

Pesticides in whole fish (except DDT)

NAS/NAE guideline

100 ppb

NAS/NAE

 

aLevel not to be exceeded, except where noted.

bCCC, criteria continuous concentration, highest instream concentration to which organisms can be exposed indefinitely without causing unacceptable effect.

cOne-day minimum warm water criteria for early life stages.

dChronic criteria to be met at all times the flow exceeds low flow (7-day, 10-year).

eCriteria concentration calculated for waters with hardness of 250mg/l as CaCO3 ; hardness concentrations between 250 and 400 mg/l as

CaCO3 may be used to adjust criteria, as appropriate.

fCMC, criteria maximum concentration, highest instream concentration to which organisms can be exposed for a brief period of time without causing an acute effect.

gIn distribution system.

hExcept when waters are materially affected by surface runoff; however, in no case shall concentration downstream from a discharge be more than 200 organisms/100 ml higher than background levels.

 

References:

IAC:  State of Iowa. Water Quality Standards.  Environmental Protection [567] Chapter 61, Iowa Administrative Code.  Des Moines, Iowa. http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Rules/2002/iac/567iac/56761/56761.pdf

EPA:  April 1999. EPA-822-Z-99-001. National Recommended Water Quality Criteria-Correction. Office of Water. (http://www.epa.gov/ost/pc/revcom.pdf).

“Gold Book”:  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  1986.  Quality Criteria for Water.  Washington, D.C.:  United States Government Printing Office (with subsequent updates).

FR:  Federal Register, various dates as given.

EPA:  December 1999.  EPA-822-R-99-014.  1999 Update of Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Ammonia.

EPA:  December 2000.  EPA-822-B-00-008.  Ambient Water Quality Criteria Recommendations:  Lakes and Reservoirs in Nutrient Ecoregion VI.

EPA:  December 2000.  EPA-822-B-00-017.  Ambient Water Quality Criteria Recommendations:  Rivers and Streams in Nutrient Ecoregion VI.

EPA:  April 2001.  EPA-822-R-01-001.  2001 Update of Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Cadmium.

EPA:  1986.  EPA-4405-84-002.  Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria.

FDA:  U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  March 1998.  Action Levels for Poisonous or Deleterious Substances in Human Food and Animal Feed.  Industry Activities Staff Booklet (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fdaact.html).

U.S. EPA:  1993.  Guidance for Assessing Chemical Contaminant Data for Use in Fish Advisories.  Volume 1:  Fish Sampling and Analysis. Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.  EPA 823-R-93-002.  August.

NAS/NAE:  National Academy of Sciences/National Academy of Engineering. 1972. Water Quality Criteria 1972. Rep to the Committee on Water Quality Criteria. EPA-R3-73-033.  Washington, D.C.:  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.



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