SEDL / STP / STP891-EB / STP33570S

A New Approach for Regulating Iron in Water Quality Standards

Loeffelman, PH
Engineer, assistant engineer, and assistant chemist, American Electric Power Service Corp., Environmental Engineering Division, Columbus, OH

Van Hassel, JH
Engineer, assistant engineer, and assistant chemist, American Electric Power Service Corp., Environmental Engineering Division, Columbus, OH

Arnold, TE
Associate chemist, American Electric Power Service Corp., General Laboratory, Huntington, WV

Hendricks, JC
Engineer, assistant engineer, and assistant chemist, American Electric Power Service Corp., Environmental Engineering Division, Columbus, OH

Pages: 16    Published: Jan 1985

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Abstract

An extensive literature review, toxicity tests, and five months of field measurements of ferrous and total iron were undertaken. Published field data and analytical procedures are scarce for ferrous iron; few useful toxicity data are available for any of the forms of iron. Studies demonstrated that total iron concentrations now limited to 1 mg/L in many U.S. water quality standards need to be far over 1 mg/L to adversely affect Pimephales promelas and Salmo gairdneri compared to the much lower concentrations of bathophenathroline (BPA) reactive ferrous iron required for similar effects on these two species. For most freshwater bodies, regulating only this ferrous iron form should be considered for protecting aquatic life uses.