Document 7rMny6Oo51xXV8kJpBLJa7Zo

HATER QUALITY CRITERIA,.1972' A Report of the Committee on Water Quality Criteria Environmental Studies Board National Academy of Sclencaa National Academy of Engineering Washington, 0. C.^1972 At the request of end funded by . . The Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C./V1972 MONS 039380 <2e.<:~n o nJ . Ui <?(. HONS 039381 772 organism* alto apply to wildlife in order to provide protection in local arena'. polyciilqt'.xkaied biphewyls (pcd) '^'ui***1 Evidcnco la accumulating that PCD does not contribute to the ehail thinning that haa been a major symptom of the reproductive .. failuraa and population doollnaa of raptorial and flth-eatlng birds. Dietary VCB produced no ahell thinning of ogge of Mallard Ducka (Anna nlatyrhynchos) (Heath et al.in press 1972)f nor did PCB have any affacta ' S9 " on egga of Ring Doves (Strcntopella rlsoria) (Peakall 1971). A PCB affect could not be nsaociated vth the thinning of Brown Pelican - t*- fPexacanua occldentnlia) eggshella (Riaabrough'lh press 1972). PCB may increase susceptibility tp infectious agents such as virus diseases (Friend and - ay Trainer 1970). Like other chlorinated hydrocarbonaAPCB increases the activity of liver enzymes that degrade steroids, including the sex . *+ Al hormones (Rlsebrough ot al. 1968; Street et al. 1968). The ecological algnlflccnco of this phenomenonis hot clear.-; * ' Because laboratory studies havo indicated that PCB, with its da- * , * 9%^ rivetlvos or raatabolltos, causes embryonic death of birds (Vos et al. 1970. ; * T( f/X SI Vos and Kocmcn 1970; Vos in press 1972'; Pooka1 et al. in press 1972) and be cause exceptionally high concentrations are occasionally found in fish-eating . .ay iv and raptorial species (Rlsebrough et al. 1968; Jensen et al. 1969), it is highly probable that PCB haa had an adverse effect on the - reproductive capacity of some spodos of birds that have shown population declines. HONS 039382 T Modian PCB concentrations In vhole fish of eight apaclos Ht l~ < from Long Island Sound, obtained in 1570, wore in tha order of oaa^ ,. V) (Hays and Risebrough 1972), and comparable conccntrationsrbava ` 61 boon reported from ooutham California (Risebrough 1969). On tha t'J'. rr.t basis of tha high probability that PCB In tha environment has contri 9: buted to tha reproductlva failures of fish-eating birds, it is * doslrabla to docreaso these levels by at least a factor of two (See ' . li > Section HI'on freshwater Aquatic'Life and Wildlife pp. TOO). ' Recommendation ' _. It is reconmended that PCB concentrations in any sample ,/JU consisting of a homogenate of 25 or more whole fish of any species that la consumed by fish-eating birds and mammals, within the aamo to size range as the fish consumed by any bird or mammal, be no greater than 0.5 mg/kg of the wot weight. , In the absence of a standardized methodology for the deter I * mination of PCB in environmental samples, it is recommended that estimates of PCB concentrations be based on the commercial Axoclor ! I preparation which it most closely resembles in chlorlno composition. If the PCB composition should resemble a mixture of more than one ArocJ.01, it should bo considered a mixture for tho basis of quanti tation, and the PCB concentration reported should be the sum of the component Arodoi equivalents. . J!DT COMPOUNDS . ------ DDT compounds have become widespread and locally abundant pollutants in coastal and marine environments of North America. MONS 0393B3 S tCTloO 1L_ posac. CUA-rt/Z- `Surruts MONS 039384 NITRILOTRIACETATE (NTA) A'lTKILOTRIACCTATE (NTA) .::: _so 232 Because of Its possible large-scale use, nltrllotrlscetste (KTA) should be evaluated in light of chronic low-level exposure via water and its potential for adversely affecting the health f the gonoral population. Although nltrilotrlacetlc add, a white crystalline powder. Is Insoluble In water, the trlbaslc salt is quite soluble. !. . . MIA has strong affinity for Iron, calcium, magnesium, and tine (Ballar 1956). Its relative affinity for toxic metals such as csdnium and mercury Is not presently known, nor have its chelating properties In complex Ionic solutions been characterised. . .Copper isd lead concentrations In biologically treated waste water after flocculation with aluminum sulfate (125 mg/1)'are a function of the KTA present (Nilsson 1971). No Information Is available on the toxicity of such chelates. No cases of acute human poisoning by KTA have beon reported. - ' In the natural environment, NZA`~ls~blodegraded to K(^ od HjO, with glycine and aosaonla as Intermediates (Thompson and yr : tuchlo 1968). This appear '"to occur within four to five days. ^gradation Is accelerated by biological watte treatment.-, . inversion of NTA to nitrate Is on a 1 to 1 molar basis. . ?itomntendatlon-- : I- ' . No reconmendatlon conernlng NTA Is made at this time "because of ll'o absence of data on affinity for toxic metals, the absence of adequate lc,xlc'ity data, and the absence of , . " ........................ f ' .' / ........ .......... " HONS 039385 -NITRIIjOTRIACETATE fKTA) 57 demonstrable effect* on maiw, and because there is doubt about W ' -- c -___ potential use as a substitute for phosphates in detergents. Toxicity 233 Information should be developed and evaluated to establish a reasonable . recommendation prior to a-eubetitution. ' - -- -- - J,J. / *vi ,'U ' HONS 039386 iPr* -PHTHALATE ESTERS . __ 250 ~ 80 PHTHALATE ESTERS , Large quantities of phthalate asters are used as plasticisers In plastics. Phthalates In water, fish, and other organisms, represent e potential hut largely unknown health problem. They have been implicated ia growth retardation, accumulation, and chronic toxicity, but little conclusive 'information is available (Phthalates are discussed in . *. . '* taction III, Freshwater Aquatic Life and Wildlife.) Because thare is in sufficient information on their specific effects on man, no scientifically iefsnslble recommendation can be made at this time concerning concentrations ef phthalata esters in public weter supply sources. . .... '/ ' . ' MCNS 039387 POLYCIH.OTO'ATED BIPHENYLS (PCB) ' Polychlorinated biphenyl* (PCB)' consist of a mixture of ^pounds only slightly soluble in water; highly aoluble in fats( oils, pi nonpolar liquids; and highly resistant to both heat and biological /(gradation. PCB have a wide variety of industrial uses, primarily as 202 Street at al. 1969, Wassermann et al. 1970). It la not clear at this tint whether the effects are due to PCB or its contaminants, the chlori- Mtod dlbonsofurans that are highly toxic (Bauer at al. . rule 1968, Varrett 1970)'. It is also not known whether the chlorinated dlbenzofurans are produced by degradation of PCB as well as during its manufacture. Tbe occurrence of PCB in our waters has been documented rs- .v v ---*- *''* - statedly' (New Scientist 1966, Holmes at al. 1967, Rlsebrough et al. 1968, Jensen et al. 19691 Koeman et al.. .1969. Schmidt et al. 1971. Velth an' Lee 1971). They have been associated with sewage effluents (llolden 1970, Schmidt et al. 1971) and rainwater (Tarrant and Tatton 1968), as well aa releases and leakage. Failures of dosed systems using PCB have caused lone of tha more wall known releases (Kuratsune et al. 1969, Duke et al. It has been reported that the defined treatment process does little er nothing to remove PCB (Ahling and Jensen 1970). MUMS 039388 S4 ' An epidemiological study on severe poisoning by rice oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls In 1968 indicated that about 0.5 grama Ingested over a period of approximately one month was ufflelent'to cause the Yusho disease. Many of those affected showed '' HO signs of relief after about three years (Kuratsune at al. 1949) price end Welch (1971) have estimated on the basis of 194 samples that 4* Uf45 per cent of the general population of the U.S. may have PCB levels of 1.0 mg/kg or higher (wet velght) In adipose tissue. Therefore, It appears that PCB may accumulate In the body. On this basis It can be calculated that a dally Intake of 0.02 mg would require about 70 years to be toxic. Applying a factor of safety of 10 would permit a dally Intake of 0.002 mg, and assuming a two liter per day Intake, suggests a permissible ./ concentration In water to be 0.001 mg/1. : . ... . However, evaluation of the retention and accumulation of PCB from water Instead of ell In humans Is highly desirable. A study on rats with a single oral dose of 170 mg/kg showed urinary excretion (of PCB) to be limited, while 70 per cent of the dose was found In the fecas during an eight week period AJU/ moms 039389