Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Natural Resources › NR 100-199 - Environmental Protection - General › Chapter NR 102 - Water Quality Standards For Wisconsin Surface Waters › Subchapter I - General › Section NR 102.14 - Taste and odor criteria

Current through June 24, 2024
(1) At certain
				  concentrations, substances may not be toxic to humans, but may impart
				  undesirable taste or odor to water or aquatic organisms ingested by humans. The
				  taste and odor criterion is derived to prevent substances from concentrating in
				  surface waters or accumulating in aquatic organisms to a level which results in
				  undesirable tastes or odors to human consumers.
(2) The taste and odor criterion is derived
				  as follows:
(a) For substances which impart
				  tastes and odors to waters, the taste and odor criterion shall equal that
				  threshold concentration (TCw) below which objectionable
				  tastes or odors to human consumers do not occur. Threshold concentrations for
				  substances imparting tastes and odors to water are listed in Table 1.
Table 1
Threshold Concentrations
					 (TCw) for Substances Causing Taste and Odor in
					 Water
Substance
Threshold Concentration (ug/L)1
Acenaphthene ...............
20
Chlorobenzene ..............
20
2-Chlorophenol .............
0.1
3-Chlorophenol .............
0.1
4-Chlorophenol .............
0.1
Copper ....................
1000
2,3-Dichlorophenol ..........
0.04
2,4-Dichlorophenol ..........
0.3
2,5-Dichlorophenol ..........
0.5
2,6-Dichlorophenol ..........
0.2
3,4-Dichlorophenol ..........
0.3
2,4-Dimethylphenol ..........
400
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene . . . .
1
2-Methyl-4-Chlorophenol . . . .
1800
3-Methyl-4-Chlorophenol . . . .
3000
3-Methyl-6-Chlorophenol . . . .
20
Nitrobenzene ...............
30
Pentachlorophenol ...........
30
Phenol ....................
300
2,3,4,6-Tetrachlorophenol .....
1
2,4,5-Trichlorophenol ........
1
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol ........
2
Zinc ......................
5000
(b) For substances which impart tastes or
				  odors to aquatic organisms, the taste and odor criterion shall be calculated as
				  follows:
TOC = TC1 / BAF
Where:
TOC = Taste and odor criterion in milligrams per liter
					 (mg/L).
TC = Threshold concentration in milligrams of substance
					 per kilogram of wet tissue weight (mg/kg) of the aquatic organism being
					 consumed below which undesirable taste and odor is not detectable to human
					 consumers as derived in par. (d).
BAF = Aquatic life bioaccumulation factor with units of
					 liter per kilogram (L/kg) as derived in s.
					 NR
					 105.10.
(c) The lower of the taste and odor criteria
				  derived as specified in pars. (a) and (b) is applicable to surface waters
				  classified as public water supplies. The taste and odor criteria derived as
				  specified in par. (b) are applicable to cold water and warm water sport fish
				  communities.
(d) Threshold
				  concentrations for substances imparting tastes or odors to water (TCw) other
				  than those listed in Table 1 and threshold concentrations for substances
				  imparting tastes or odors to aquatic organisms (TCf) shall be selected by the
				  department using its best professional judgment.