Pesticide group A. — The following chemicals 

 are acutely toxic at concentrations of 5 /xg/1 and 

 less. On the assumption that ^oo of this level rep- 

 resents a reasonable application factor, it is rec- 

 ommended that environmental levels of these 

 substances not be permitted to rise above 50 nano- 

 grams/!. This level is so low that these pesticides 

 could not be applied directly in or near the marine 

 habitat without danger of causing damage. The 48- 

 hour TLm is listed for each chemical in /^g/l. 



Organochloride pesticides 

 0.04 DDT 0.6 



Aldrin 



BHC 2.0 



Chlordane 2.0 



Endrin 0.2 



Heptachlor 0.2 



Lindane 0.2 



Dieldrin 0.3 



Endosulfan 0.2 



Methoxychlor 4.0 



Perthane 3.0 



TDE 3.0 



Toxaphene 3.0 



Organophosphorus pesticides 



Coumaphos 2.0 Naled 3.0 



Dursban 3.0 Parathion 1.0 



Fenthion 0.03 Ronnel 5.0 



Pesticide group B. — The following types of 

 pesticide compounds are generally not acutely 

 toxic at levels of 1.0 mg/1 or less. It is recom- 

 mended that an application factor of ^Xoo be used 

 and in the absence of acute toxicity data that an 

 environmental level of not more than 10 /ig/1 

 be permitted. An acute toxicity factor must be es- 

 tablished for each specific chemical in this group 

 to determine that it is not more toxic than related 

 compounds as indicated above: 



Arsenicals 

 Botanicals 

 Carbamates 

 2,4-D compounds 



2,4',5-T compounds. 

 Phthalic acid compounds. 

 Triazine compounds. 

 Substituted urea compounds. 



Other Pesticides. — Acute toxicity data are avail- 

 able for approximately 100 technical-grade pesti- 

 cides in general use not listed in the above groups. 

 These chemicals are either not likely to reach the 

 marine environment or, if used as directed by the 

 registered label, probably would not occur at levels 

 toxic to marine biota. It is presumed that criteria 

 established for these chemicals in fresh water will 

 protect adequately the marine habitat. It should 

 be emphasized that no unlisted chemical should 

 be discharged into the estuary without preliminary 

 bioassay tests. 



(3) Industrial and Otiier Toxic Wastes. 



(a) Safe concentrations of metals, ammonia, 

 cyanide, and sulfide should be determined by the 

 use of appropriate application factors to 96-hour 

 TLm values as determined by flow-through bioas- 

 says using dilution water that came from the re- 



ceiving body. Test organisms should be local 

 species or life stages of organisms of economic 

 and ecologic importance which are the most sensi- 

 tive to the waste in question. Application factors 

 should be ^Xoo for metals, %o for ammonia, \xo 

 for cyanide, and %o for sulfide. 



(b) Fluoride concentrations should not exceed 

 those for drinking water. 



(c) Permissible levels of detergents in fresh 

 waters should also be applied to the marine and 

 estuarine waters. 



(d) Bacteriological criteria of estuarine waters 

 utilized for shellfish cultivation and harvesting 

 should conform with the standards as described in 

 the National Shellfish Sanitation Program Manual 

 of Operation. These standards provide that — 



( 7 ) examinations shall be conducted in accord- 

 ance with the American Public Health Association 

 recommended procedures for the examination of 

 sea water and shellfish; 



(2) there shall be no direct discharges of un- 

 treated sewage; 



(3) samples of water for bacteriological exami- 

 nation to be collected under those conditions of 

 time and tide which produce maximum concentra- 

 tion of bacteria; 



(4) the coliform median MPN of the water 

 does not exceed 70/100 ml, and not more than 

 10 percent of the samples ordinarily exceed an 

 MPN of 230/100 ml for a five-tube decimal dilu- 

 tion test (or 330/100 ml, where the three-tube 

 decimal dilution test is used) in those portions of 

 the area most probably exposed to fecal contami- 

 nation during the most unfavorable hydrographic 

 and pollution conditions; 



(5) the reUability of nearby waste treatment 

 plants shall be considered in the approval of areas 

 for direct harvesting. 



(e) Wastes from tar, gas, coke, petrochemical, 

 pulp and paper manufacturing, waterfront and 

 boating activities, hospitals, marine laboratories 

 and research installation wastes are all complex 

 mixtures having great variability in character and 

 toxicity. Due to this variability, safe levels must be 

 determined at frequent intervals by flow-through 

 bioassays of the individual effluents. 



For those operations having persistent toxicants, 

 an application factor of ^oo should be used while 

 for those composed largely of unstable or biode- 

 gradable toxicants, an application factor of %o is 

 tentatively suggested. 



(4) General Considerations. — When two or 

 more toxicants that have additive effects are pres- 

 ent, they must be treated as suggested earlier under 

 fresh water organisms. 



462-246 O - 72 - 4 



37 



