Water Quality Problem: Metals

If your concentrations are larger than the criteria below, there is a water quality problem.
Click here to go to the problem page.

The states of Alaska, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, Vermont, and Washington, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, are subject to the revised metals criteria below. 

Designated Use  Metal               Limit (ug/l)
<hr>
Human 
   Consumption      As               .05 (mg/l)

          Ba                 1.0 (mg/l)

                    Cd                              10.0 *

          Cr                .05 (mg/l)

                    Cu                               1.0 ++

                    Hg                             144.0 ng/l *

                    Ni                             632.0 *

                    Pb                              50.0 *  (adults)

                    Zn                               5.0 *

  
* Ambient water criteria
  Maximum contaminant level; USEPA, 1987 
++  Level not to be exceeded at any time

(Adapted from AWWA, 1990; USEPA, 1987; Kansas Administrative Code, 1994)

<hr>

<pre>          Human Consumption 

   Water and Organisms     Organisms Only
            (ug/l)

Arsenic     0.018          0.14
Mercury     0.14           0.15
Nickel      610            4600 


- Total recoverable metals criteria is from EPA National Ambient Water Quality Criteria Documents
- Criteria Maximum Concentration (CMC) is the highest concentration of a pollutant to which aquatic life can be exposed for a short period of time (1 hour average) (acute);
- Criteria Continuous Concentration (CCC) is the highest concentration of a pollutant to which aquatic life can be exposed for an extended period of time (4 days) without deleterious effects (chronic). 
- A more conservative approach to aquatic life protection may be preferred; in such cases the total recoverable metals criteria may be used.
If your concentrations are larger than these, there is a water quality problem;
Click here to go to the problem page.



? Information on Heavy Metals
? Information on Hardness