AC contaminants sediment

Metals

Two assessment criteria are used to assess the environmental status of metal concentrations: the

Background Assessment Concentration (BAC)
Effects Range Low (ERL)

BACs were developed within the Oslo and Paris Commission framework with scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Mean concentrations significantly below the BAC are said to be near background.

ERLs were developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for assessing the ecological significance of sediment concentrations. Concentrations below the ERL rarely cause adverse effects in marine organisms.

BACs and ERLs are available for the following metals

	BAC	ERL
Arsenic	25	8.2
Cadmium	0.31	1.2
Chromium	81	81
Copper	27	34
Mercury	0.07	0.15
Nickel	36	21
Lead	38	47
Zinc	122	150

Notes:

units are mg kg\(^{-1}\) dw
BACs are normalised to 5% aluminium
the ERLs are not normalised, but are assumed to be appropriate for concentrations normalised to 5% aluminium
the ERLs for arsenic and nickel are below their respective OSPAR Background Concentrations of 15 and 30 mg kg\(^{-1}\) dw; arsenic and nickel concentrations are only assessed against the BAC
the ERL for chromium equals the BAC; chromium concentrations are only assessed against the ERL

Organotins

The Swedish Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) is used to assess the environmental status of TBSN+ concentrations. Concentrations below the EQS should not cause any chronic effects on marine organisms. Further information can be found in the OSPAR background document and the original Swedish technical report.

	EQS
TBSN+	0.8

Notes:

units are \(\mu\)g kg\(^{-1}\) dw
the EQS is normalised to 2.5% organic carbon
Background Assessment Concentrations (BACs) have not yet been developed

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Two assessment criteria are used to assess the environmental status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations: the

Background Assessment Concentration (BAC)
Effects Range Low (ERL)

BACs were developed within the Oslo and Paris Commission framework with scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Mean concentrations significantly below the BAC are said to be near background.

ERLs were developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for assessing the ecological significance of sediment concentrations. Concentrations below the ERL rarely cause adverse effects in marine organisms.

BACs and ERLs are available for the following PAHs

	BAC	ERL
Naphthalene	8	160
Phenanthrene	32	240
Anthracene	5	85
Dibenzothiophene		190
Fluoranthene	39	600
Pyrene	24	665
Benz[a]anthracene	16	261
Chrysene (Triphenylene)	20	384
Benzo[a]pyrene	30	430
Benzo[ghi]perylene	80
Indeno[123-cd]pyrene	103

Notes:

units are \(\mu\)g kg\(^{-1}\) dw
BACs are normalised to 2.5% organic carbon
the ERLs are not normalised, but are assumed to be appropriate for concentrations normalised to 2.5% organic carbon

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers

Two assessment criteria are used to assess the environmental status of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations: the

Background Assessment Concentration (BAC)
Federal Environmental Quality Guideline (FEQG)

BACs were developed within the Oslo and Paris Commission framework with scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Mean concentrations significantly below the BAC are said to be near background.

FEQGs were developed under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. Concentrations below the FEQG should not cause any chronic effects on marine organisms. For use in the CEMP assessment, the FEQGs have been normalised to 2.5% organic carbon by multiplying the original values by 2.5 (assuming the sediment used in the toxicity trials had an organic carbon content of 1%).

Further information can be found in the OSPAR background documents for BACs and FEQGs,

BACs and FEQGs are available for the following PBDEs

	BAC	FEQG
BDE28	0.05	110
BDE47	0.05	97.5
BDE66	0.05	97.5
BDE85	0.05	1
BDE99	0.05	1
BD100	0.05	1
BD153	0.05	1100
BD154	0.05	1100
BD183	0.05	14000
BD209	0.05	47.5

Notes:

units are \(\mu\)g kg\(^{-1}\) dw
BACs and FEQGs are normalised to 2.5% organic carbon

Organobromines (other)

No assessment criteria have yet been agreed.

Polychlorinated biphenyls

Two assessment criteria are used to assess the status of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations: the

Background Assessment Concentration (BAC)
Environmental Assessment Criteria (EAC)

The assessment criteria were developed within the Oslo and Paris Commission framework with scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Mean concentrations significantly below the BAC are said to be near background. Concentrations below the EAC should not cause any chronic effects on marine organisms.

BACs and EACs are available for the following PCBs

	BAC	EAC
CB28	0.22	1.7
CB52	0.12	2.7
CB101	0.14	3.0
CB118	0.17	0.6
CB138	0.15	7.9
CB153	0.19	40
CB180	0.10	12

Notes:

units are \(\mu\)g kg\(^{-1}\) dw
BACs are normalised to 2.5% organic carbon
the EACs are not normalised, but are assumed to be appropriate for concentrations normalised to 2.5% organic carbon

Dioxins

No assessment criteria have yet been agreed.

Organochlorines (other)

The Background Assessment Concentration (BAC) is used to assess the environmental status of organochlorine concentrations. BACs The assessment criteria were developed within the Oslo and Paris Commission framework with scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Mean concentrations significantly below the BAC are said to be near background.

BACs are available for the following organochlorines

	BAC
DDE (p,p’)	0.09
Dieldrin	0.19
Hexachlorobenzene	0.16
\(\gamma\)-HCH	0.13

Notes:

units are \(\mu\)g kg\(^{-1}\) dw
BACs are normalised to 2.5% organic carbon