R 323.1203
R 323.1203 Definitions; A to L.
Cite as Mich. Admin. Code R 323.1203
Rule 1203. As used in this part:
(a) "Acute-chronic ratio (ACR)" means a standard measure of the acute toxicity of a material
divided by an appropriate measure of the chronic toxicity of the same material under comparable
conditions.
(b) "Acute toxicity" means an adverse effect that results from an acute exposure which occurs
within any short observation period and which usually does not constitute a substantial portion of
the life span of the organism.
(c) "Acute toxic unit (TUa)" means 100/LC50 where the LC50 is determined from a whole effluent
toxicity (WET) test which produces a result that is statistically or graphically estimated to be lethal
to 50% of the test organisms.
(d) "Aquatic life value" means a tier I or tier II value developed under R 323.1057(2).
(e) "Bioaccumulation equivalency factor (BEF)" means the bioaccumulation potential for the
toxicologically important chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and chlorinated dibenzo-p-furans relative
to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) for use in calculating 2,3,7,8-TCDD toxicity
equivalency concentrations in water as the 2,3,7,8-TCDD toxicity equivalency concentrations relate
to deriving human health water quality values.
(f) "Bioaccumulation factor (BAF)" means the ratio, in liters per kilogram, of a substance's
concentration in tissue of an aquatic organism to its concentration in the ambient water where both
the organism and its food are exposed and the ratio does not change substantially over time.
(g) "Bioaccumulative chemical of concern (BCC)" means a chemical which, upon entering the
surface waters, by itself or as its toxic transformation product, accumulates in aquatic organisms by
a human health bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of more than 1000 derived after considering
metabolism and other physiochemical properties that might enhance or inhibit bioaccumulation. The
human health bioaccumulation factor shall be derived according to R 323.1057(5). Chemicals with
half-lives of less than 8 weeks in the water column, sediment, and biota are not BCCs. The minimum
BAF information needed to define an organic chemical as a BCC is either a field-measured BAF or
a BAF derived using the biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) methodology. The minimum
BAF information needed to define an inorganic chemical as a BCC, including an organometal, is
either a field-measured BAF or a laboratory-measured bioconcentration factor (BCF). The BCCs
to which these rules apply are identified in table 5 of R 323.1057.
(h) "Bioconcentration factor (BCF)" means the ratio, in liters per kilogram, of a substance's
concentration in tissue of an aquatic organism to its concentration in the ambient water in situations
where the organism is exposed through the water only and the ratio does not change substantially
over time.
(i) "Biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF)" means the ratio, in kilograms of organic carbon
per kilogram of lipid, of a substance's lipid-normalized concentration in tissue of an aquatic organism
to its organic carbon-normalized concentration in surface sediment in situations where the ratio does
not change substantially over time, both the organism and its food are exposed, and the surface
sediment is representative of average surface sediment in the vicinity of the organism.
(j) "Carcinogen" means a substance which causes an increased incidence of benign or malignant
neoplasms in animals or humans or that substantially decreases the time in which neoplasms develop
in animals or humans.
(k) "Chemical-specific water quality-based effluent limit" means water quality-based effluent limits
that are based on an individual chemical.
(l) "Chronic toxicity" means a concurrent and delayed adverse effect that occurs only as a result of
a chronic exposure.
(m) "Chronic toxic unit (TUc)" means 100/MATC or 100/IC25, where the maximum acceptable
toxicant concentration (MATC) and IC25 are expressed as a percent effluent in the test medium.
(n) "Clean water act" means the federal water pollution control act codified at 33 U.S.C. §1251 et
seq., as amended.
(o) "Daily maximum water quality-based effluent limit" means an effluent specific water quality-
based effluent limit in an NPDES permit developed to protect aquatic life from acute chemical
specific or whole effluent toxicity.
(p) "Department" means the director of the Michigan department of environmental quality, or his
or her designee to whom the director delegates a power or duty by written instrument.
(q) "Detection level" means the lowest concentration or amount of the target analyte that can be
determined to be different from zero by a single measurement at a stated level of probability.
(r) "Discharge-induced mixing" means the mixing of a discharge and receiving water that occurs
due to discharge momentum and buoyancy up to the point where mixing is controlled by ambient
turbulence.
(s) "Dissolved metal" means the concentration of a metal that will pass through a 0.45-mm
membrane filter.
(t) "Existing discharge" means any building, structure, facility, or installation from which there is
or may be a discharge of toxic substances to the surface waters of the state that is not a new discharge.
(u) "Final acute value (FAV)" means the level of a chemical or mixture of chemicals that does not
allow the mortality or other specified response of aquatic organisms to exceed 50% when exposed
for 96 hours, except where a shorter time period is appropriate for certain species. The FAV shall be
calculated under R 323.1057(2) if appropriate for the chemical.
(v) "Human cancer value (HCV)" means the maximum ambient water concentration of a substance
at which a lifetime of exposure from either drinking the water, consuming fish from the water, and
conducting water-related recreation activities or consuming fish from the water and conducting
water-related recreation activities will represent a plausible upper bound risk of contracting cancer
of 1 in 100,000 using the exposure assumptions and methodology specified in R 323.1057(4).
(w) "Human noncancer value (HNV)" means the maximum ambient water concentration of a
substance at which adverse noncancer effects are not likely to occur in the human population from
lifetime exposure through either drinking the water, consuming fish from the water, and conducting
water-related recreation activities or consuming fish from the water and conducting water-related
recreation activities using the exposure assumption and methodology in R 323.1057(4).
(x) "Intake toxic substance" means the amount of a toxic substance that is present in surface or
groundwaters of the state at the time the toxic substance is withdrawn from the waters by the
discharger or present in the water provided to the discharger by another facility.
(y) "Intermittent wet-weather point source" means a point source discharge that occurs as a result
of a rainfall or snowmelt event. An intermittent wet-weather point source includes a treated or
untreated combined sewer overflow, but does not include a storm water discharge that is mixed with
other industrial or commercial wastewater or an increased discharge from a municipal wastewater
treatment plant due to a rainfall or snowmelt event.
(z) "IC25" means the toxicant concentration that would cause a 25% reduction in a nonquantal
biological measurement for the test population.
(aa) "LC50" means a statistically or graphically estimated concentration that is expected to be lethal
to 50% of a group of organisms under specified conditions.
(bb) "Load allocation" means the portion of a receiving water's loading capacity that is attributed
to existing or future nonpoint sources, including natural background sources.
(cc) "Loading capacity" means the greatest amount of pollutant loading that a water can receive
without violating water quality standards.
(dd) "Lotic" means surface waters of the state that exhibit flow.