Copper Biotic Ligand Model

EPA's 2007 aquatic life freshwater quality criteria for copper is based on the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM). The BLM is a metal bioavailability model that uses receiving water body characteristics and monitoring data to develop site-specific water quality criteria. Input data for the BLM include: temperature, pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), major cations (Ca, Mg, Na, & K), major anions (SO₄ & Cl), alkalinity, and sulfide.

EPA has developed this special interest module to provide the user with valuable information on the BLM.

• WQS Academy: Biotic Ligand Model and Copper Criteria (pdf) (241.09 KB, March 2016, 820Q16001)

This introductory presentation provides an overview of the copper BLM and addresses commonly asked questions, such as:

• What is the BLM?
• Why is the BLM an improvement over EPA's old hardness-based copper criteria?
• How do the BLM-derived criteria compare to the hardness-based criteria?
• What input parameters are needed to run the BLM?
• How has the BLM approach been applied in practice?

BLM Software and User's Guide

• BLM Software and User's Guide.

Note: Contact Luis Cruz, PhD ([email protected])

References

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