ASTM E1023-23
Standard Guide for Assessing the Hazard of a Material to Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses

Standard No.

ASTM E1023-23

Release Date

2023

Published By

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Latest

ASTM E1023-23

Scope

1.1 This guide describes a stepwise process for using information concerning the biological, chemical, physical, and toxicological properties of a material to identify adverse effects likely to occur to aquatic organisms and their uses as a result of release of the material to the environment. The material will usually be a specific chemical, although it might be a group of chemicals that have very similar biological, chemical, physical, and toxicological properties and are usually produced, used, and discarded together. 1.2 The hazard assessment process is complex and requires decisions at a number of points; thus, the validity of a hazard assessment depends on the soundness of those decisions, as well as the accuracy of the information used. All decisions should be based on reasonable worst-case analyses so that an appropriate assessment can be completed for the least cost that is consistent with scientific validity. 1.3 This guide assumes that the reader is knowledgeable in aquatic toxicology and related pertinent areas. A list of general references is provided (1).2 1.4 This guide does not describe or reference detailed procedures for estimating or measuring environmental concentrations, or procedures for determining the maximum concentration of test material that is acceptable in the food of predators of aquatic life. However, this guide does describe how such information should be used when assessing the hazard of a material to aquatic organisms and their uses. 1.5 Because assessment of hazard to aquatic organisms and their uses is a relatively new activity within aquatic toxicology, most of the guidance provided herein is qualitative rather than quantitative. When possible, confidence limits should be calculated and taken into account. 1.6 This guide provides guidance for assessing hazard but does not provide guidance on how to take into account social considerations in order to judge the acceptability of the hazard. Judgments concerning acceptability are social as well as scientific, and are outside the scope of this guide. 1.7 This guide is arranged as follows: Section Referenced Documents 2 Descriptions of Terms Specific to This Standard 3 Summary of Guide 4 Significance and Use 5 Four Basic Concepts 6 The Iteration 6.1 The Two Elements 6.2 The Possible Decisions 6.3 The Phased Approach 6.4 Phase I—Use of Low-Cost (Existing) Information 7 Collection of Available Data 7.1 Initial Estimates of Environmental Concentrations 7.2 Initial Estimate of Toxicity to Aquatic Organisms 7.3 Initial Estimate of Bioaccumulation by Aquatic Organisms 7.4 Phase I Hazard Assessment 7.5 Phase II—Use of Medium-Cost Information 8 Improved Estimates of Environmental Concentrations 8.2 Acute Toxicity to Aquatic Animals 8.3 Toxicity to Algae 8.4 Expansion of Short-Term Testing 8.5 Bioaccumulation 8.6 Phase II Hazard Assessment 8.7 Phase III—Use of High-Cost Information 9 Refined Estimates of Environmental Concentrations 9.2 Chronic Toxicity to Aquatic Animals 9.3 Use of Acute-Chronic Ratios 9.4 Toxicity to Aquatic Plants 9.5 Bioconcentration 9.6 Bioaccumulation from Food 9.7 Phase III Hazard Assessment 9.8 Appendixes Appendix X1 Production, Use, Disposal, and Other Release Appendix X2 Biological Considerations Appendix X3 Chemical Considerations Appendix X4 Physical Considerations Appendix X5 Toxicological Considerations Appendix X6 Estimating Environmental Concentrations Appendix X7 Selection of Test Species Appendix X8 Long-Term Toxicity Tests 1 This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E50.47 on Biological Effects and Environmental Fate. Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2023. Published February 2023. Originally approved in 1984. Last previous edition approved in 2014 as E1023-84(2014). DOI: 10.1520/E1023-23. 2 Boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end of this standard. Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee. 1 1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. 1.9 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ASTM E1023-23 Referenced Document

• ASTM D1129 Standard Terminology Relating to Water
• ASTM E1022 Standard Guide for Conducting Bioconcentration Tests with Fishes and Saltwater Bivalve Mollusks
• ASTM E1191 Standard Guide for Conducting Life-Cycle Toxicity Tests with Saltwater Mysids
• ASTM E1193 Standard Guide for Conducting Daphnia magna Life-Cycle Toxicity Tests
• ASTM E1218 Standard Guide for Conducting Static 96-h Toxicity Tests with Microalgae
• ASTM E1241 Standard Guide for Conducting Early Life-Stage Toxicity Tests with Fishes
• ASTM E1415 Standard Guide for Conducting Static Toxicity Tests With Lemna gibba G3 (Withdrawn 2021)
• ASTM E1706 Standard Test Method for Measuring the Toxicity of Sediment-Associated Contaminants with Freshwater Invertebrates
• ASTM E724 Standard Guide for Conducting Static Acute Toxicity Tests Starting with Embryos of Four Species of Saltwater Bivalve Molluscs
• ASTM E729 Standard Guide for Conducting Acute Toxicity Tests on Test Materials with Fishes, Macroinvertebrates, and Amphibians
• ASTM E943 Standard Terminology Relating to Biological Effects and Environmental Fate*， 2023-06-01 Update
• IEEE/ASTM SI 10 American National Standard for Metric Practice

ASTM E1023-23 history

• 2023 ASTM E1023-23 Standard Guide for Assessing the Hazard of a Material to Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses
• 1984 ASTM E1023-84(2014) Standard Guide for Assessing the Hazard of a Material to Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses
• 1984 ASTM E1023-84(2007) Standard Guide for Assessing the Hazard of a Material to Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses
• 1984 ASTM E1023-84(2002) Standard Guide for Assessing the Hazard of a Material to Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses
• 1996 ASTM E1023-84(1996) Standard Guide for Assessing the Hazard of a Material to Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses