To better protect public health and provide cleaner water nationwide, EPA is updating scientific guidelines that will result in stronger, more protective water quality standards.
On November 3, EPA revised its methodology for developing water quality criteria. States and authorized tribes use EPA’s published criteria in setting water quality standards but also may use the methodology to develop their own criteria. The revisions incorporate significant scientific advances in key areas such as cancer and non-cancer risk assessments, exposure assessments and bioaccumulation in fish.
EPA, states and tribes will use the new buidelines to update existing water quality criteria in the future. The revised methodology and additional information can be found at http://www.epa.gov/ost/humanhealth/.SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency