Water Quality Flashcards
What is the diff b/w acute and chronic toxicity?
Acute - causes death rapidly
Chronic - Impair growth and reproduction
Standards can be _______ or _______.
Narrative or numeric
What waters in NYS are listed in 6 NYCRR Parts 800-941?
EVERY water
What is the best use for Class A?
Drinking, Swimming, Boating, Propgtn, & Survival
What is the best use for Class B?
Swimming, boating, propgtn & survival
What is the best use for Class C?
Propgtn & Survival
What is the best use for Class D?
Survival
What is the best use for Class SA?
Shellfishing, swimming, boating, propgtn & survival
What is the best use for Class SB?
Swimming, boating, propgtn & survival
What is the best use for Class SC?
Propgtn & survival
What is the best use for Class SD?
Survival
What trout water class is suitable for trout?
Class T
What trout water class is suitable for trout spawning waters?
Class TS
T or F: most any class of water can also be a trout water or a trout spawning water
True
Can there be a class D(TS)?
NO! Class D is SURVIVAL ONLY
Which toxic chemical limit applies to a water body?
The most stringent limit
What do the following symbols mean: A(C) A(A) W H(WS) H(FC)
A(C) = Aqu. life propagating - chronic standard A(A) = Aqu. life survival - acute standard W = Wildlife H(WS) = Human Health, Drinking water H(FC) = Human Health, Fish Consumption
What are the requirements for a FRESHWATER quality standard? (how many families and what ones?)
Need data from 8 families: 1. coldwater fish 2. warmwater fish 3. amphibian, or another fish 4. Planktonic crustacean (Daphnia spp.) 5. Benthic crustacean 6. Insect 7,8. other invert phyla that haven't already been used (worms, snails, diff insect, mollusk, etc.)
What are the requirements for a SALTWATER quality standard? (how many families and what ones?)
Need data from 8 families: 1,2. Fish 3. Crustacean 4,5,6. any invert family 7. Any invert that is NOT an arthropod 8. Any other family not already used
What is preferred over the other: EC50 or LC50?
EC50 is preferred over LC50
What is preferred: Flow-through, renewal, or static testing?
Flow-through over renewal or static
What is preferred: nominal or measured?
Measured
What happens if you have more than 1 acceptable test for the same organism or closely related organisms?
Determine spp. mean acute value (SMAV): Geometric mean of the LC/EC50s for the same spp.
What happens if you have more than 1 SMAV?
Determine Genus Mean Acute Value (GMAV); Geometric mean of the SMAVs for the same spp.
If you only have one LC/EC50 in determining a water quality standard, this LC/EC50 is used as the ____.
GMAV
If you only have one SMAV, it is the ____.
GMAV
P = /(n+)
P = R/n+1 where R = Rank
Use _______ analysis of the __ lowest acute values to determine 5th percentile value; this is the FAV
regression; 4
Acute Water Quality Stnd = ___ / ___
FAV / 2
What is the chronic value?
The MATC (Max Acceptable Toxicant Concentration) - the geometric mean of LOEC and NOEC
What are the 2 choices in coming up with a CHRONIC water quality std?
- Exactly the same way as Acute, but w/ 8 families-worth of chronic data
- Acute to chronic ratios
You must have 3 ACR’s; what are they?
How do you get a final ACR?
fish, invertebrate, and an acutely sensitive spp (eg. species for one of the 4 lowest acute values
FACR = geometric mean of at least 3 ACRs
What does FCV stand for and how is it calculated?
Final Chronic Value;
FCV = FAV / FACR
What does FPV stand for and what does it mean?
Final Plant Value; FPV is the lowest acceptable toxicity value for a plant
The Chronic standard A(C) = Lowest of ___ or ___, assuming that ___ = 2800 ug/L
Lowest of FCV or FPV; assume: FPV = 2800 ug/L
What does SPDES stand for?
State Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit
What do SPDES do?
regulate discharges; determine how much of a pollutant a discharge can contain
