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Soil Bioavailability at Superfund Sites: Guidance
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Metals
Guidance for Evaluating the Bioavailability of Metals in Soils for Use in Human Health Risk Assessment
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more.This guidance document provides: 1) a recommended process for deciding when to collect site-specific information on the oral bioavailability of metals in soils for use in human health risk assessments; 2) a recommended process for documenting the data collection, analysis and implementation of a validated method that would support site-specific estimates of oral bioavailability; and 3) general criteria for EPA to use in evaluating whether a specific bioavailability method has been validated for regulatory risk assessment purposes.
- Transmittal Memo from James E. Woolford to the Regions, dated July 3, 2007 (PDF) (4 pp, 1 MB)
- Guidance for Evaluating the Bioavailability of Metals in Soils for Use in Human Health Risk Assessment (PDF) (20 pp, 133 K)
Lead
Rationale and Efficacy of Amending Soils with Phospate as Means to Mitigate Soil Lead Hazard
This technical memorandum and fact sheet discuss the rationale and efficacy of amending soil with phosphate as a means to mitigate soil lead hazard.
- Phosphate Amendment Fact Sheet (PDF) (4 pp, 389 K)
- Technical Memorandum: Rationale and Efficacy of Amending Soils with Phosphate as Means to Mitigate Soil Lead Hazard (PDF) (15 pp, 324 K)
Estimation of Relative Bioavailability of Lead in Soil and Soil-like Materials Using In Vivo and In Vitro Methods
These documents address an in vivo swine bioavailability bioassay and an in vitro bioaccessibility assay. These are both scientifically sound and feasible methodologies for predicting the relative bioavailability (RBA) of lead in soil and soil-like materials. EPA’s Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) recommends that the Regions rely on these particular test methodologies as validated methodologies for quantitative use in most site-specific risk assessments.
- Transmittal Memo from James E. Woolford to the Regions, dated July 3, 2007 (PDF) (7 pp, 2 MB)
- Entire Document (PDF) (386 pp, 4.9 MB)
- Main Text, Tables and Figures (PDF) (74 pp, 583 K)
- Appendices (PDF) (312 pp, 4.2 MB)
- Validation Assessment of In Vitro Lead Bioaccessibility Assay for Predicting Relative Bioavailability of Lead in Soils and Soil-like Materials at Superfund Sites (PDF) (14 pp, 114 K)
OSWER 9200.3-51, June 2009
Standard Operating Procedure for an In Vitro Bioaccessibility Assay for Lead in Soil
The purpose of this standard operating procedure (SOP) is to define the proper analytical procedure for the validated in vitro bioaccessibility assay for lead in soil as described in Estimation of Relative Bioavailability of Lead in Soil and Soil-like Materials Using In Vivo and In Vitro Methods (EPA, 2007). The SOP also describes the typical working range, the limits of the assay and any potential interferences.
- Standard Operating Procedure for an In Vitro Bioaccessibility Assay for Lead in Soil (PDF) (16 pp, 291 K)
Guidance for Sample Collection for In Vitro Bioaccessibility Assay for Lead (Pb) in Soil
This document provides guidance on the collection of soil samples for measurement of lead IVBA.
- Guidance for Sample Collection for In Vitro Bioacessibility Assay for Lead (Pb) in Soil (16 pp, 495 K)
Arsenic
Relative Bioavailability Of Arsenic In Soils At 11 Hazardous Waste Sites Using An In Vivo Juvenile Swine Method
These documents address an in vivo swine bioavailability bioassay, which is a scientifically sound and feasible methodology for measuring the RBA of arsenic in soil and soil-like materials. OSRTI recommends that the Regions rely on this method for quantitative use in most site-specific risk assessments.
- Relative Bioavailability Of Arsenic In Soils At 11 Hazardous Waste Sites Using An In Vivo Juvenile Swine Method (PDF) (56 pp, 837 K)
- Appendices (PDF) (249 pp, 5.5 MB)
Compilation and Review of Data for Relative Bioavailability of Arsenic in Soil and Recommendations for Default Value for Relative Bioavailability
These documents identified and evaluated literature relevant to estimating an RBA value of arsenic in soil. Based on the analysis and external independent peer review, the following conclusions have been made: 1) currently available research suggests that an RBA of arsenic in soils can be expected to be less than 100 percent; 2) the upper percentile of U.S. data results in a default RBA arsenic in soil value of 60 percent; 3) the default RBA for arsenic in soils should only be used if site-specific assessments for arsenic RBA are not feasible.
- Transmittal Memo from Becki Clark to the Regions, dated December 31, 2012 (PDF) (2 pp, 390 K)
- Compilation and Review of Data on Relative Bioavailability of Arsenic in Soil (PDF) (58 pp, 776 K)
- Recommendations for Default Value for Relative Bioavailability of Arsenic in Soil (PDF) (4 pp, 38 K)
- Relative Bioavailability of Arsenic in an Asarco and a Hawaii Soil (PDF) (41 pp, 1.2 MB)
- Relative Bioavailability of Arsenic in Barber Ochard Soils (PDF) (80 pp, 5.1 MB)
- Relative Bioavailability of Arsenic in Two Soils from the Iron King Mine (PDF) (40 pp, 636 K)
- Relative Bioavailability of Arsenic in NIST SRM 2710 (Montana Soil) (PDF) (45 pp, 1.5 MB)
- Relative Bioavailability of Arsenic in a Mohr Orchard Soil (PDF) (47 pp, 521 K)
- Relative Bioavailability of Arsenic and Vanadium in Soil from a Superfund Site in Palestine, Texas (PDF) (62 pp, 3.7 MB)
- Bioavailability Committee Mineralogical Report (PDF) (9 pp, 423 K)
Dioxin
- Soil Dioxin Relative Bioavailability Assay Evaluation Framework (PDF) (16 pp, 374 K)