Environmental Assessment
Estimation of Biota Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF) from Paired Observations of Chemical Concentrations in Biota and Sediment (Final Report)
Notice
The Ecological Risk Assessment Support Center (ERASC) is announcing the release of the final report entitled, Estimation of Biota Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF) from Paired Observations of Chemical Concentrations in Biota and Sediment.
Report Information
Biota Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF) is a parameter describing bioaccumulation of sediment-associated organic compounds or metals into tissues of ecological receptors. The report provides information on methodologies to estimate BSAF for nonionic organic chemicals.
Michael Kravitz
- by phone at: 513-569-7740
- by email at: kravitz.michael@epa.gov
Background
This report was written in response to a request from EPA's Ecological Risk Assessment Forum (ERAF) for information about estimating Biota Sediment Accumulation Factors (BSAFs). BSAF is a parameter describing bioaccumulation of sediment-associated organic compounds or metals into tissues of ecological receptors. The report addressing this request provides information on methodologies to estimate BSAF. It is focused solely on the determination of BSAFs for nonionic organic chemicals and is primarily applicable to fish and high level shellfish, e.g., crabs. The determination of BSAFs for metals is not discussed.
History/Chronology
| Jul 2004 | An Internal Review Draft was completed. |
| Mar 2006 | Internal review was completed and comments were addressed to produce the ERASC BSAF External Review Draft. |
| Jun 2006 | A Federal Register Notice was published to solicit public comments on the ERASC BSAF External Review Draft. |
| Apr 2009 | EPA published the final report incorporating external public and peer review comments. |
Next Steps
This is the final report.
Citation
BURKHARD, L. Estimation of Biota Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF) from Paired Observations of Chemical Concentrations in Biota and Sediment (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ecological Risk Assessment Support Center, Cincinnati, OH, EPA/600/R-06/047, 2009.