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Development of Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Benchmarks for Data-Limited PFAS Using New Approach Methods
Citation:
Elias, M., Sandy Raimondo, C. Lilavois, A. Jarvis, Jim Justice, AND K. Gallagher. Development of Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Benchmarks for Data-Limited PFAS Using New Approach Methods. SETAC North America 2022, Pittsburgh, PA, November 13 - 18, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
This presentation will demonstrate the application of Interspecies Correlation Estimation (ICE) models to derive water quality benchmark values for PFOA and PFOS by the Office of Water and will provide additional external peer review of the use of Web-ICE as a New Approach Methodology for the development of water quality criteria with limited test data.
Description:
The 1985 Guidelines for Deriving Numerical National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses (1985 Guidelines) recommends that test data be available for a minimum of eight families to fulfill taxonomic minimum data requirements (MDRs) in order for US EPA to calculate aquatic life criteria values. Although direct test data are available and were used by US EPA to derive draft aquatic life criteria for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), these data are more limited and do not fulfill MDRs for most other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Accordingly, EPA recently developed draft acute protective benchmarks for selected PFAS through application of a New Approach Methods (NAMs) tool. Specifically, benchmarks were developed using Interspecies Correlation Estimation (ICE) model predictions in conjunction with available direct test data to fulfill MDRs for each substance. Acute freshwater benchmark recommendations for the protection of aquatic life were then derived using procedures consistent with those in the 1985 Guidelines. Deriving benchmarks using this approach is fundamentally consistent with the 1985 Guidelines “good science” clause and allows EPA to provide relevant information to states and tribes regarding protective values for aquatic life. Additionally, development of these PFAS benchmarks complies with EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Finally, these draft benchmarks are consistent with the Agency’s intention to reduce the use of animal testing through the application of NAMs. This presentation provides both an overview of the process used to derive the benchmark values and the draft acute benchmark values developed for the selected PFAS.