(a) Scope. This section promulgates human health criteria for priority toxic pollutants in surface waters in Washington.

(b) Criteria for priority toxic pollutants in Washington. The applicable human health criteria are shown in Table 1.

Table 1—Human Health Criteria for Washington

Open Table Open Table
A B C
Chemical CAS No. Cancer slope factor, CSF
(per mg/kg·d)
Relative source
contribution, RSC (-)
Reference dose, RfD (mg/kg·d) Bio-accumulation factor
(L/kg tissue)
Bio-concentration factor
(L/kg tissue)
Water &
organisms (µg/L)
Organisms only
(µg/L)
        (B1) (B2) (B3) (B4) (B5) (C1) (C2)
1. 1,1,1-Trichloroethane 71556 0.50 2 10 20,000 50,000
2. 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane 79345 0.2 - 8.4 0.1 0.3
3. 1,1,2-Trichloroethane 79005 0.057 - 8.9 0.35 0.90
4. 1,1-Dichloroethylene 75354 0.50 0.05 2.6 700 4,000
5. 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene 120821 0.029 - 430 0.036 0.037
6. 1,2-Dichlorobenzene 95501 0.50 0.3 82 700 800
7. 1,2-Dichloroethane 107062 0.0033 - 1.9 8.9 73
8. 1,2-Dichloropropane 78875 -
9. 1,2-Diphenylhydrazine 122667 0.8 - 27 0.01 0.02
10. 1,2-Trans-Dichloroethylene 156605 0.50 0.02 4.7 200 1,000
11. 1,3-Dichlorobenzene 541731 0.50 0.002 190 2 2
12. 1,3-Dichloropropene 542756 0.122 - 3.0 0.22 1.2
13. 1,4-Dichlorobenzene 106467 0.50 0.07 84 200 200
14. 2,3,7,8-TCDD (Dioxin)** 1746016 156,000 - 5,000 1.3E-08 1.4E-08
15. 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol 88062 -
16. 2,4-Dichlorophenol 120832 0.50 0.003 48 10 10
17. 2,4-Dimethylphenol 105679 -
18. 2,4-Dinitrophenol 51285 0.50 0.002 4.4 30 100
19. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene 121142 -
20. 2-Chloronaphthalene 91587 0.80 0.08 240 100 100
21. 2-Chlorophenol 95578 -
22. 2-Methyl-4,6-Dinitrophenol 534521 0.50 0.0003 10 3 7
23. 3,3-Dichlorobenzidine 91941 -
24. 3-Methyl-4-Chlorophenol 59507 -
25. 4,4-DDD 72548 0.24 - 240,000 7.9E-06 7.9E-06
26. 4,4-DDE 72559 0.167 - 3,100,000 8.8E-07 8.8E-07
27. 4,4-DDT 50293 0.34 - 1,100,000 1.2E-06 1.2E-06
28. Acenaphthene 83329 0.50 0.06 510 30 30
29. Acrolein 107028 -
30. Acrylonitrile 107131 -
31. Aldrin 309002 17 - 650,000 4.1E-08 4.1E-08
32. alpha-BHC 319846 6.3 - 1,500 4.8E-05 4.8E-05
33. alpha-Endosulfan 959988 0.50 0.006 200 6 7
34. Anthracene 120127 0.50 0.3 610 100 100
35. Antimony 7440360 0.50 0.0004 1 6 90
36. Arsenic** 7440382 1.75 - 44 a0.018 a0.14
37. Asbestos 1332214 -
38. Benzene 71432 -
39. Benzidine 92875 -
40. Benzo(a) Anthracene 56553 0.73 - 3,900 0.00016 0.00016
41. Benzo(a) Pyrene 50328 7.3 - 3,900 1.6E-05 1.6E-05
42. Benzo(b) Fluoranthene 205992 0.73 - 3,900 0.00016 0.00016
43. Benzo(k) Fluoranthene 207089 0.073 - 3,900 0.0016 0.0016
44. beta-BHC 319857 1.8 - 180 0.0013 0.0014
45. beta-Endosulfan 33213659 -
46. Bis(2-Chloroethyl) Ether 111444 -
47. Bis(2-Chloro-1-Methylethyl) Ether* 108601 0.50 0.04 10 400 900
48. Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate 117817 0.014 - 710 0.045 0.046
49. Bromoform 75252 0.0045 - 8.5 4.6 12
50. Butylbenzyl Phthalate 85687 0.0019 - 19,000 0.013 0.013
51. Carbon Tetrachloride 56235 -
52. Chlordane 57749 0.35 - 60,000 2.2E-05 2.2E-05
53. Chlorobenzene 108907 0.50 0.02 22 100 200
54. Chlorodibromomethane 124481 0.04 - 5.3 0.60 2.2
55. Chloroform 67663 0.50 0.01 3.8 100 600
56. Chrysene 218019 0.0073 - 3,900 0.016 0.016
57. Copper 7440508 -
58. Cyanide 57125 0.50 0.0006 1 9 100
59. Dibenzo(a,h) Anthracene 53703 7.3 - 3,900 1.6E-05 1.6E-05
60. Dichlorobromomethane 75274 0.034 - 4.8 0.73 2.8
61. Dieldrin 60571 16 - 410,000 7.0E-08 7.0E-08
62. Diethyl Phthalate 84662 0.50 0.8 920 200 200
63. Dimethyl Phthalate 131113 0.50 10 4,000 600 600
64. Di-n-Butyl Phthalate 84742 0.50 0.1 2,900 8 8
65. Endosulfan Sulfate 1031078 0.50 0.006 140 9
66. Endrin 72208 0.80 0.0003 46,000 0.002 0.002
67. Endrin Aldehyde 7421934 -
68. Ethylbenzene 100414 0.50 0.022 160 29 31
69. Fluoranthene 206440 0.50 0.04 1,500 6 6
70. Fluorene 86737 0.50 0.04 710 10 10
71. gamma-BHC; Lindane 58899 0.50 0.0047 2,500 0.43 0.43
72. Heptachlor 76448 4.1 - 330,000 3.4E-07 3.4E-07
73. Heptachlor Epoxide 1024573 5.5 - 35,000 2.4E-06 2.4E-06
74. Hexachlorobenzene 118741 1.02 - 90,000 5.0E-06 5.0E-06
75. Hexachlorobutadiene 87683 0.04 - 1,100 0.01 0.01
76. Hexachlorocyclopentadiene 77474 0.50 0.006 1,300 1 1
77. Hexachloroethane 67721 0.04 - 600 0.02 0.02
78. Indeno(1,2,3-cd) Pyrene 193395 0.73 - 3,900 0.00016 0.00016
79. Isophorone 78591 -
80. Methyl Bromide 74839 0.50 0.02 1.4 300
81. Methylene Chloride 75092 0.002 - 1.6 10 100
82. Methylmercury 22967926 2.7E-05 0.0001 b0.03 (mg/kg)
83. Nickel 7440020 0.50 0.02 47 80 100
84. Nitrobenzene 98953 0.50 0.002 3.1 30 100
85. N-Nitrosodimethylamine 62759 -
86. N-Nitrosodi-n-Propylamine 621647 -
87. N-Nitrosodiphenylamine 86306 -
88. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) 87865 0.4 - 520 0.002 0.002
89. Phenol 108952 0.50 0.6 1.9 9,000 70,000
90. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) 2 - 31,200 c7E-06 c7E-06
91. Pyrene 129000 0.50 0.03 860 8 8
92. Selenium 7782492 0.50 0.005 4.8 60 200
93. Tetrachloroethylene 127184 0.0021 - 76 2.4 2.9
94. Thallium** 7440280 - 0.000068 116 1.7 6.3
95. Toluene 108883 0.50 0.0097 17 72 130
96. Toxaphene 8001352 -
97. Trichloroethylene 79016 0.05 - 13 0.3 0.7
98. Vinyl Chloride 75014 1.5 - 1.7 0.18
99. Zinc 7440666 0.50 0.3 47 1,000 1,000

aThis criterion refers to the inorganic form of arsenic only.

bThis criterion is expressed as the fish tissue concentration of methylmercury (mg methylmercury/kg fish). See Water Quality Criterion for the Protection of Human Health: Methylmercury (EPA-823-R-01-001, January 3, 2001) for how this value is calculated using the criterion equation in EPA's 2000 Human Health Methodology rearranged to solve for a protective concentration in fish tissue rather than in water.

cThis criterion applies to total PCBs (e.g., the sum of all congener or isomer or homolog or Aroclor analyses).

*Bis(2-Chloro-1-Methylethyl) Ether was previously listed as Bis(2-Chloroisopropyl) Ether.

**These criteria were promulgated for Washington in the National Toxics Rule at 40 CFR 131.36, and are moved into 40 CFR 131.45 to have one comprehensive human health criteria rule for Washington.

(c) Applicability.

(1) The criteria in paragraph (b) of this section apply to waters with Washington's designated uses cited in paragraph (d) of this section and apply concurrently with other applicable water quality criteria.

(2) The criteria established in this section are subject to Washington's general rules of applicability in the same way and to the same extent as are other federally promulgated and state-adopted numeric criteria when applied to the same use classifications in paragraph (d) of this section.

(i) For all waters with mixing zone regulations or implementation procedures, the criteria apply at the appropriate locations within or at the boundary of the mixing zones; otherwise the criteria apply throughout the waterbody including at the end of any discharge pipe, conveyance or other discharge point within the waterbody.

(ii) The state must not use a low flow value below which numeric non-carcinogen and carcinogen human health criteria can be exceeded that is less stringent than the harmonic mean flow for waters suitable for the establishment of low flow return frequencies (i.e., streams and rivers). Harmonic mean flow is a long-term mean flow value calculated by dividing the number of daily flows analyzed by the sum of the reciprocals of those daily flows.

(iii) If the state does not have such a low flow value for numeric criteria, then none will apply and the criteria in paragraph (b) of this section herein apply at all flows.

(d) Applicable use designations.

(1) All waters in Washington assigned to the following use classifications are subject to the criteria identified in paragraph (d)(2) of this section:

(i) Fresh waters—

(A) Miscellaneous uses: Harvesting (Fish harvesting);

(B) Recreational uses;

(C) Water supply uses: Domestic water (Domestic water supply);

(ii) Marine waters—

(A) Miscellaneous uses: Harvesting (Salmonid and other fish harvesting, and crustacean and other shellfish (crabs, shrimp, scallops, etc.) harvesting);

(B) Recreational uses;

(C) Shellfish harvesting: Shellfish harvest (Shellfish (clam, oyster, and mussel) harvesting)

Note to paragraph (d)(1): The source of these uses is Washington Administrative Code 173-201A-600 for Fresh waters and 173-201A-610 for Marine waters.

(2) For Washington waters that include the use classification of Domestic Water, the criteria in column C1 and the methylmercury criterion in column C2 of Table 1 in paragraph (b) of this section apply. For Washington waters that include any of the following use classifications but do not include the use classification of Domestic Water, the criteria in column C2 of Table 1 in paragraph (b) of this section apply: Harvesting (fresh and marine waters), Recreational Uses (fresh and marine waters), and Shellfish Harvesting.

[81 FR 85435, Nov. 28, 2016]


Tried the LawStack mobile app?

Join thousands and try LawStack mobile for FREE today.

  • Carry the law offline, wherever you go.
  • Download CFR, USC, rules, and state law to your mobile device.