Determining the Chronic Aquatic Toxicity Criterion for an Individual Substance - General Procedures

Section 302 Section 302.627  Determining the Chronic Aquatic Toxicity Criterion for an Individual Substance - General Procedures a)         A chemical-specific Chronic Aquatic Toxicity Criterion (CATC) is calculated using procedures specified in subsection (b) when chronic toxicity data are available for at least five species from five different North American genera of freshwater organisms, including representatives from the following taxa: 1)         Representatives of two families in the Class Osteichthyes (Bony Fish). 2)         The family Daphnidae. 3)         A benthic aquatic macroinvertebrate. 4)         An alga (96-hour test) or a vascular aquatic plant. b)         A CATC is derived in the same manner as the FAV in Section 302.615 or 302.618 by substituting CATC for FAV or FAI, chronic for acute, MATC for LC-50, SMCV (Species Mean Chronic Value) for SMAV, and GMCV (Genus Mean Chronic Value) for GMAV. c)         If data are not available to meet the requirements of subsection (a), a CATC is calculated by dividing the FAV by the highest acute-chronic ratio obtained from at least one fish and one invertebrate species.  The acute-chronic ratio for a species equals the acute toxicity concentration from data considered under Sections 302.612 through 302.618, divided by the chronic toxicity concentration from data calculated under subsections (a) and (b) subject to the following conditions: 1)         If the toxicity of a substance is related to any water quality characteristic (WQC), the acute-chronic ratio must be based on acute and chronic toxicity data obtained from organisms exposed to test water with WQC values that are representative of the WQC values of the waterbody under consideration. Preference under this subsection must be given to data from acute and chronic tests done by the same author or in the same reference to increase the likelihood of comparable test conditions. 2)         If the toxicity of a substance is unrelated to water quality parameters, the acute-chronic ratio may be derived from any acute and chronic test on a species regardless of the similarity in values of those water quality parameters.  Preference under this subsection must be given to data from acute and chronic tests done on the same organisms or their descendants. 3)         If there is more than one acute-chronic ratio for a species, a geometric mean of the ratio is calculated, corrected for the relationship of toxicity to water quality parameters. 4)         If the acute and chronic toxicity data indicate that the acute-chronic ratio varies with changes in water quality parameters, the acute-chronic ratio used over specified values of the water quality parameters must be based on the ratios at water quality parameter values closest to those specified. 5)         If acute and chronic toxicity data are unavailable to determine an acute-chronic ratio for at least two North American freshwater species, a ratio of 25 must be used. d)         If a resident or indigenous species whose presence is necessary to sustain commercial or recreational activities, or prevent disruptions of the waterbody's ecosystem, including loss of species diversity or a shift to a biotic community dominated by pollution-tolerant species, will not be protected by the calculated CATC, then the MATC for that species is used as the CATC.