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Acute aquatic life criteria for selenium
Author(s) -
Canton Steven P.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620180712
Subject(s) - acute toxicity , selenium , selenate , toxicity , bioaccumulation , chronic toxicity , environmental chemistry , pollutant , toxicology , chemistry , biology , organic chemistry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA's) current acute aquatic life criterion for selenium (Se), 20 μg/L, was based on a back‐calculation from the chronic criterion of 5 μg/L, using the acute‐to‐chronic ratio in reverse. While bioaccumulation and subsequent toxicity through dietary uptake are important factors in chronic toxicity, acute toxicity is a shortterm phenomenon, which should be promulgated with an acute value derived from direct toxicity studies, similar to other metals and metalloids. Acute toxicity values from the U.S. EPA Se criteria document were updated with more recent toxicity data for the two primary forms of Se, selenite (Se IV) and selenate (Se VI). Using this updated toxicity database, genus mean acute values were calculated, and the database was ranked based on sensitivity to both forms. Following recalculation (using U.S. EPA criteria derivation guidelines), the updated final acute value (FAV) for selenite was 437 μg/L, resulting in a criterion maximum concentration (CMC), or acute criterion, of 219 μg/L. For selenate, the FAV becomes 826 μg/L, with a CMC of 413 μg/L. Unless Se speciation studies demonstrate that the primary form of Se is selenate, the conservative assumption should be that any Se present is in the more toxic selenite form, resulting in an acute criterion for Se of 220 μg/L. These acute criteria are scientifically sound and necessary under U.S. EPA's regulatory structure for deriving National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System discharge permit limits.