Development of Wildlife Screening Level Quotients for Evaluating the Distribution of Bioaccumulative Chemicals in Marine Sediments. C. F. Kemos, B. R. DeShields, G. M. DiMundo, J. J. Gravenmier, and N. Navarro; Harding ESE, Inc. and US Army Corps of Engineers
The use of numerical screening values (i.e., ER-L/ER-M, and PEL/TELs) in the evaluation of chemical sediment quality is a common practice. However, potential impacts on wildlife are not addressed by these values. This study addressed the development of wildlife screening levels (WSLs) and quotients to evaluate the distribution of chemicals with a potential to bioaccumulate in primarily silty harbor marine sediments in San Francisco Bay. Ecologically-based WSLs were developed for two avian marine receptors, lesser scaup and brown pelican, commonly found in San Francisco Bay, California. WSLs were developed for a range of organic carbon (OC) contents. Chemical concentrations detected in marine sediments were compared with San Francisco Bay ambient levels and the appropriate WSLs to evaluate the potential for adverse effects to wildlife. To evaluate the distribution of chemicals with a potential to bioaccumulate, chemicals exceeding WSLs in marine sediment samples were compared using a quotient method (WSLq). The WSLq was calculated by dividing the concentration of a detected chemical by its corresponding WSL (at the appropriate OC content). A WSLq of 1 represents the point at which the detected chemical concentration equals the WSL. The results of this evaluation were graphically presented, by chemical, to define the nature and magnitude of potential risks.
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