Water Quality

Question 1

What is the diff b/w acute and chronic toxicity?

Answer 1

Acute - causes death rapidly

Chronic - Impair growth and reproduction

Question 2

Standards can be _______ or _______.

Answer 2

Narrative or numeric

Question 3

What waters in NYS are listed in 6 NYCRR Parts 800-941?

Answer 3

EVERY water

Question 4

What is the best use for Class A?

Answer 4

Drinking, Swimming, Boating, Propgtn, & Survival

Question 5

What is the best use for Class B?

Answer 5

Swimming, boating, propgtn & survival

Question 6

What is the best use for Class C?

Answer 6

Propgtn & Survival

Question 7

What is the best use for Class D?

Answer 7

Survival

Question 8

What is the best use for Class SA?

Answer 8

Shellfishing, swimming, boating, propgtn & survival

Question 9

What is the best use for Class SB?

Answer 9

Swimming, boating, propgtn & survival

Question 10

What is the best use for Class SC?

Answer 10

Propgtn & survival

Question 11

What is the best use for Class SD?

Answer 11

Survival

Question 12

What trout water class is suitable for trout?

Answer 12

Class T

Question 13

What trout water class is suitable for trout spawning waters?

Answer 13

Class TS

Question 14

T or F: most any class of water can also be a trout water or a trout spawning water

Answer 14

True

Question 15

Can there be a class D(TS)?

Answer 15

NO! Class D is SURVIVAL ONLY

Question 16

Which toxic chemical limit applies to a water body?

Answer 16

The most stringent limit

Question 17

What do the following symbols mean:
A(C)
A(A)
W
H(WS)
H(FC)

Answer 17

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

Question 18

What are the requirements for a FRESHWATER quality standard? (how many families and what ones?)

Answer 18

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.)

Question 19

What are the requirements for a SALTWATER quality standard? (how many families and what ones?)

Answer 19

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

Question 20

What is preferred over the other: EC50 or LC50?

Answer 20

EC50 is preferred over LC50

Question 21

What is preferred: Flow-through, renewal, or static testing?

Answer 21

Flow-through over renewal or static

Question 22

What is preferred: nominal or measured?

Answer 22

Measured

Question 23

What happens if you have more than 1 acceptable test for the same organism or closely related organisms?

Answer 23

Determine spp. mean acute value (SMAV): Geometric mean of the LC/EC50s for the same spp.

Question 24

What happens if you have more than 1 SMAV?

Answer 24

Determine Genus Mean Acute Value (GMAV); Geometric mean of the SMAVs for the same spp.

Question 25

If you only have one LC/EC50 in determining a water quality standard, this LC/EC50 is used as the ____.

Answer 25

GMAV

Question 26

If you only have one SMAV, it is the ____.

Answer 26

GMAV

Question 27

P = _/(n+_)

Answer 27

P = R/n+1 where R = Rank

Question 28

Use _______ analysis of the __ lowest acute values to determine 5th percentile value; this is the FAV

Answer 28

regression; 4

Question 29

Acute Water Quality Stnd = ___ / ___

Answer 29

FAV / 2

Question 30

What is the chronic value?

Answer 30

The MATC (Max Acceptable Toxicant Concentration) - the geometric mean of LOEC and NOEC

Question 31

What are the 2 choices in coming up with a CHRONIC water quality std?

Answer 31

1. Exactly the same way as Acute, but w/ 8 families-worth of chronic data 2. Acute to chronic ratios

Question 32

You must have 3 ACR's; what are they? How do you get a final ACR?

Answer 32

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

Question 33

What does FCV stand for and how is it calculated?

Answer 33

Final Chronic Value; | FCV = FAV / FACR

Question 34

What does FPV stand for and what does it mean?

Answer 34

Final Plant Value; FPV is the lowest acceptable toxicity value for a plant

Question 35

The Chronic standard A(C) = Lowest of ___ or ___, assuming that ___ = 2800 ug/L

Answer 35

Lowest of FCV or FPV; assume: FPV = 2800 ug/L

Question 36

What does SPDES stand for?

Answer 36

State Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit

Question 37

What do SPDES do?

Answer 37

regulate discharges; determine how much of a pollutant a discharge can contain