U.S. EPA Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments Program. The representative effect concentration selected from among the ER-MS and PELs for Hyalella azteca and Chironomus riparius are presented in EPA (1996). The PEC is the geometric mean of the 50th percentile in the effects data set and the 85th percentile in the no effects data set. It represents the lower limit of the range of concentrations usually associated with adverse effects. A concentration greater than the PEC is likely to result in adverse effects to these organisms. The majority of the data are for freshwater sediments. These are probable-effects benchmarks.
EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) 1996. Calculation and evaluation of sediment effect concentrations for the amphipod Hyalella azteca and the midge Chironomus riparius. EPA 905/R96/008. Great Lakes National Program Office, Chicago, IL. (http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/clearinghouse/data/brdcerc0004.html) ( http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/pubs/sedtox/sec-dev.html )