Volatile Organic Compound Benchmarks Used in Contaminant Exceedance Plots in the Heinz Center Report

The State of the Nation's Ecosystems

(See metadata below for codes and references.)

# RDB

# Dataset_Name: qw.std.voc.rdb

#

# This dataset or report is a product of the U.S. Geological Survey's

# National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program.

#

# There is one row in the table for a given PCODE value.

#

#  Basic documentation of dataset elements and history

#

#   Attributes: PCODE, NAME, COMMON, MCL, AQCR,

#               MCLSRC, AQCRSRC, UNITS,

#               CASNUM,

#

#

#     Attribute_Description:       NWIS parameter code of the constituent

#                                   to be compared to the standard.  This

#                                   is the unique, primary key to the table.

#                                   A five-digit code, including zeroes.

#     Attribute_Label:             PCODE

#

#     Attribute_Description:       Constituent name.

#                                   Text, to appear in a table.

#     Attribute_Label:             NAME

#

#     Attribute_Description:       Common or trade name(s) for constituent.

#                                  Multiple names are separated with a comma.

#                                   Text, to appear in a table.

#     Attribute_Label:             COMMON

#

#     Attribute_Description:       EPA maximum contaminant level or health

#                                   advisory level (for contaminants in water)

#                                   or EPA recommended screening value (for

#                                   contaminants in fish). NOTE:  These values

#                                   are not necessarily EPA-MCL values, see"

#                                   MCLSRC.  A numeric value in expressed in

#                                   UNITS.

#     Attribute_Label:             MCL

#

#     Attribute_Description:       Chronic life-criteria for the

#                                   protection of aquatic life.

#                                   A numeric value in expressed in UNITS.

#     Attribute_Label:             AQCR

#

#

#     Attribute_Description:       Source of data for MCL attribute

#                                   A coded-text value, see below.

#     Attribute_Label:             MCLSRC

#     Attribute_Domain_Values:     MCL=EPA maximum contaminent level in

#                                   drinking-water

#                                  SMCL=EPA secondary maximum contaminent level

#                                  HAL=EPA health-advisory level, lifetime,

#                                   70-kg adult, assumes consumption of 2 L

#                                   water per day over a 70 year lifetime

#                                  MCLG=maximum contaminent-level goal

#                                  RSD5=Risk-specific dose @ Level=10E-5

#                                   RSD(Level=10E-5) = RSD(Level=10E-4) / 10.

#                                   for carcinogens only.

#                                  CAN=Canadian water-quality guidelines

#                                  SV=EPA recommended screening value, 70 kg

#                                   adult. Assumes average fish consumption (6.5

#                                   grams of freshwater or estuarine fish per

#                                   day), 70 yr lifetime.

#                                  SV5=EPA recommended screening value @ risk

#                                   level=10E-5, 70 kg adult, for carcinogens

#                                   only. Assumes average fish consumption (6.5

#                                   grams of freshwater or estuarine fish per

#                                   day), 70 yr lifetime.

#

#                                  References:

#

#                                   USEPA, 1995, Guidance for assessing

#                                    chemical contaminant data for use in

#                                    fish advisories, Volume 1, Fish sampling

#                                    and analysis, Second edition, Office of

#                                    Water, EPA 823-R-95-007, September, 1995.

#

#                                   USEPA, 1996, Drinking water regulations

#                                    and health advisories, Office of water,

#                                    EPA 822-B-96-002, Wash.D.C., Oct., 1996.

#

#                                   Canadian Council of Resource and

#                                    Environment Ministers, 1991, Canadian

#                                    water quality guidelines: Ottawa, Ontario,

#                                    Environment Canada, Inland Waters

#                                    Directorate, Water Quality Branch.

#

#     Attribute_Description:       Source of data for AQCR attribute.

#                                   A coded-text value, see below.

#     Attribute_Label:             AQCRSRC

#     Attribute_Domain_Values:     FCH=fresh-water chronic aquatic-life

#                                   USEPA, 1991, Water-quality criteria summary

#                                   Office of Water, Office of Science and Tech.,

#                                   Health and Ecological Effects Division (poster)

#                                  NAS=

#                                   NAS/NAE, 1973[74], Water quality criteria

#                                   1972: USEPA, EPA R3-73-033, 594 p.

#                                  NSI=

#                                   USEPA, 1996, The National Sediment Quality

#                                   Inventory: A report to Congress on the

#                                   extent and severity of sediment contamination

#                                   in surface waters of the US, 1st draft,

#                                   Office of Science and Tech., Wash.D.C.,

#                                   EPA-823-D-96-002, July, 1996.

#                                  LOEL=Lowest Observed Effect Level

#                                  CAN=Canadian water-quality guidelines

#

#     Attribute_Label:             UNITS

#     Attribute_Domain_Values:     mg/L=milligrams per liter

#                                  ug/L=micrograms per liter

#                                  mg/kg=milligrams per kilogram (ppm)

#                                  ug/kg=micrograms per kilogram

#

#     Attribute_Description:       Chemical Abstract Services registration number

#                                   OPTIONAL, separate multiple applicable CAS

#                                   numbers with commas.

#     Attribute_Label:             CASNUM

#

# -----------------------------------------------------------------

# Metadata_Reference_Information:

#   Metadata_Date:    10DEC96

#   Metadata_Contact: sjryker, jon)

#

# removed 49264 row because it is a surrogate 4/15/97

# Metadata_Standard_Name:

#   USGS-NAWQA Archive Recommended Standard for Tabular Metadata, based on

#   FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

# Metadata_Standard_Version: 01MAR1996

#

# Changed the following (10/02/1997) because of previous errors and a decision to use

# an MCL where it exists:

#  Chloroethene (vinyl chloride) from a RSD5 of 1.5 ug/L to a MCL of

#  2.0 ug/L 1,2-Dibromoethane (EDB) from a RSD5 of 0.04 ug/L to a MCL

#  of 0.05 ug/L 1,2,3-Trichloropropane from a RSD5 of 50 ug/L to a HA

#  of 40 ug/L Tribromomethane from a RSD5 of 40 ug/L to a MCL of 100

#  ug/L Bromodichloromethane from a RSD5 of 6 ug/L to a MCL of 100

#  ug/L 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane from a HAL of 70 ug/L to a RSD5 of

#  10 ug/L

#  Changed the following (12/12/1997) because of USEPA

#  released the Health Advisory for MTBE.  Methyl tert-butyl

#  ether (MTBE) COMMENTS Range is now 20 - 40 ug/L.  Documentation for

#  this change is ""USEPA, 1997, Drinking water advisory: Consumer

#  Acceptabilty advice and health effects analysis on methyl

#  tertiary-butyl ether (MtBE): U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

#  Office of Water, EPA-822-F-97-009, 34 pp.""

#  Changed the following (01/09/1998) to reflect the MCL for total

#  trihalomethanes Added a row for the total trihalomethanes

#  (THM). Comments were added to the four trihalomethanes

#  (Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Trichloromethane

#  (Chloroform), and Tribromomethane (Bromoform)) to refer the user to

#  the trihalomethanes.

#  Updated 2/01/2000 to include the 33 additional analytes on Schedule 2020.

#

# END_OF_METADATA

# -----------------------------------------------------------------

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