USE OF A FRESH-WATER SEDIMENT QUALITY DATABASE IN AN EVALUATION OF SEDIMENT QUALITY CRITERIA-BASED ON EQUILIBRIUM PARTITIONING AND SCREENING-LEVEL CONCENTRATIONS

A sediment quality database was developed for sediments from the Great Lakes and surrounding watersheds. Database file structure was based o n commercially available database-management software and is relationa l in nature. Database inputs include sample identification information , whole-sediment and pore-water chemical data, benthic macroinvertebra te species abundances, toxicity test results, and, when available, org anism-specific chemical residue data. The database functions as both a laboratory data archival system and as a source of information on the fate and effects of contaminants in freshwater sediments. Database in formation was used to evaluate two alternative methods for developing sediment quality criteria for dieldrin, endrin, acenaphthene, fluorant hene, and phenanthrene. Sediment quality criteria developed by the U.S . Environmental Protection Agency based on equilibrium partitioning th eory were compared to sediment quality criteria or guidelines based on screening-level concentrations calculated by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and from the database developed in this study. data fr om the sediment quality database were also used to determine the frequ ency with which sediment quality criteria were exceeded in recently (< 20 years) collected sediment samples. Excesses beyond the proposed equ ilibrium partitioning-derived sediment quality criteria were observed in less than 10% of the samples in the database for which chemical con centrations of dieldrin, endrin, acenaphthene, fluoranthene, and phena nthrene were available. Based on the results of this study, sediment q uality criteria bases on equilibrium partitioning theory and final chr onic water-quality criteria are consistent with sediment quality crite ria based on screening-level concentrations determined from field samp les.