Sediment quality criteria from the sediment quality triad: An example

Broad-scale comparative data for sediment chemistry, sediment bioassays and bottom fish histopathology are used to derive quantitative site-specific sediment criteria for three representative chemical contaminants in Puget Sound, Washington. The criteria, in terms of concentrations at or below which biological effects have been shown to be minimal, are (dry weight sediment): lead, 50 μg/g (ppm); combustion polyaromatic hydrocarbons, 3.8 μg/g; total polychlorinated biphenyls, 0.1 μg/g.