Toxicity Testing (NPDES Permits)

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• Regulatory Compliance Toxicity Testing (Acute/Chronic

Screening and Definitive Tests)

Because the pollutant-specific analytical techniques for monitoring discharges have been deemed inadequate for insuring the goals of the Clean Water Act (CWA), many industrial and municipal dischargers are required to conduct aquatic toxicity tests on their effluents. These toxicity tests, called bioassays, utilize aquatic species as test organisms to determine the toxicity of effluents being discharged into the environment. Bioassays measure the combined effects of constituent pollutants and receiving waters on growth, reproduction and mortality.

A^ECT has highly qualified biologists and technicians familiar with a variety of industrial and municipal waste streams. We offer many types of bioassays utilizing variety of test organisms. In addition, A^ECT has refrigerated water samplers available to our clients and we offer sample collection and/or sample pick-up services.

• Toxicity Identification Evaluations (TIE's)

• Toxicity Reduction Evaluations (TRE's)

When point-source effluents and discharges fail to meet their required permit limits, regulatory agencies have asked permittees to evaluate their effluents using a series of physical/chemical fractionation and toxicity test procedures that isolate and characterize the part(s) of the effluent which contribute to the toxicity of the whole effluent. These tests are called Toxicity Identification and/or Reduction Evaluations (TIE's and TRE's). From these evaluations, permittees can change their manufacturing and discharge processes to reduce the toxicity of their effluent. A^ECT has successfully performed TIE studies for our clients