US EPA recently published proposed updated to its water quality criteria for acrolein and phenol. Water quality criteria are generally calculated to protect aquatic life. However, for certain chemicals which can accumulate in fish, criteria also are based on protection of human health. In addition to being directly exposed to chemicals in the water, humans can also be exposed when fish are eaten that have accumulated chemical from the water. Both acrolein and phenol have human health-based water quality criteria.
Comment period for the draft criteria ended in October 2008.
The proposed criteria are significantly lower compared to current criteria used for the two chemicals:
Acrolein:
Water + Organisms: 6 mg/L (currently 190 mg/L)
Organisms Only: 9 mg/L (currently 290 mg/L)
Phenol:
Water + Organisms: 10,400 mg/L (currently 20,700 mg/L)
Organisms Only: 857,000 mg/L (currently 1,700,000 mg/L)
Acrolein is used in various chemical manufacturing processes and is also used as a common herbicide. Phenol is also used to make chemical intermediates for a wide range of other applications, ranging from plastics to pharmaceuticals and agricultural chemicals.
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