An official website of the United States government.

This is not the current EPA website. To navigate to the current EPA website, please go to www.epa.gov. This website is historical material reflecting the EPA website as it existed on January 19, 2021. This website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work. More information »

Historical Water Quality Criteria Documents

In 1976 and in 1986 EPA published Quality Criteria for Water (known as the "Red Book" and the "Gold Book" respectively). The criteria in these documents are still current where a more recent criteria has not been published.

Quality Criteria for Water, 1986 ("Gold Book")
Quality Criteria for Water, 1976 ("Red Book")

The table below represents previously published ambient water quality criteria. They are intended to be used for historical reference only.

  Year EPA#: NTIS#: ERIC#:
2-Chlorophenol 1980 EPA 440/5-80-034 PB81-117459 D-551
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin 1984 EPA 440/5-84-007 PB89-169825 D-598
2,4-Dichlorophenol 1980 EPA 440/5-80-042 PB81-117533 D-563
2,4-Dimethylphenol 1980 EPA 440/5-80-044 PB81-117558 D-565
Acenaphthene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-015 PB81-117269 D-618
Acrolein 1980 EPA 440/5-80-016 PB81-117277 D-619
Acrylonitrile 1980 EPA 440/5-80-017 PB81-117285 D-620
Aldrin/Dieldrin 1980 EPA 440/5-80-019 PB81-117301 D-621
Aluminum - 1986 1986   PB88-245998 D-622
Aluminum - 1988 1988 EPA 440/5-86-008    
Ammonia - 1984 1985 EPA 440/5-85-001 PB85-227114 D-623
Ammonia - 1998 1998 EPA 822-R-98-008   D-A58
Ammonia (Saltwater) - 1989 1988 EPA 440/5-88-004 PB89-195242 D-534
Antimony 1980 EPA 440/5-80-020 PB81-117319 D-535
Arsenic -1980 1980 EPA 440/5-80-021 PB81-117327 D-536
Arsenic - 1984 1984 EPA 440/5-84-033 PB85-227445 D-537
Asbestos 1980 EPA 440/5-80-022 PB81-117335 D-538
Bacteria - 1986 1984 EPA 440/5-84-002 PB86-158045 D-539
Benzene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-018 PB81-117293 D-540
Benzidine 1980 EPA 440/5-80-023 PB81-117343 D-541
Beryllium 1980 EPA 440/5-80-024 PB81-117350 D-542
Cadmium - 1980 1980 EPA 440/5-80-025 PB81-117368 D-543
Cadmium - 1984 1984 EPA 440/5-84-032 PB85-224031 D-642
Cadmium - 2001 2001 EPA 822-R-01-001    
Carbon Tetrachloride 1980 EPA 440/5-80-026 PB81-117376 D-544
Chlordane 1980 EPA 440/5-80-027 PB81-117384 D-615
Chloride - 1988 1988 EPA 440/5-88-001 PB88-175047 D-545
Chlorinated Benzenes 1980 EPA 440/5-80-028 PB81-117392 D-617
Chlorinated Ethanes 1980 EPA 440/5-80-029 PB81-117400 D-546
Chlorinated Naphthalene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-031 PB81-117426 D-547
Chlorinated Phenols 1980 EPA 440/5-80-032 PB81-117434 D-616
Chlorine 1984 EPA 440/5-84-030 PB85-227429 D-548
Chloroalkyl Ethers 1980 EPA 440/5-80-030 PB81-117418 D-549
Chloroform 1980 EPA 440/5-80-033 PB81-117442 D-550
Chlorpyrifos 1986 EPA 440/5-86-005 PB87-105367 D-552
Chromium 1980 EPA 440/5-80-035 PB81-117467 D-553
Copper - 1980 1980 EPA 440/5-80-036 PB81-117475 D-555
Copper - 1984 1984 EPA 440/5-84-031 PB85-227023 D-556
Copper - 2001 2001 EPA 822-R-01-005    
Cyanide - 1984 1984 EPA 440/5-84-028 PB85-227460 D-557
Cyanides 1980 EPA 440/5-80-037 PB81-117483 D-558
DDT 1980 EPA 440/5-80-038 PB81-117491 D-559
Dichlorobenzenes 1980 EPA 440/5-80-039 PB81-117509 D-560
Dichlorobenzidine 1980 EPA 440/5-80-040 PB81-117517 D-561
Dichloroethylenes 1980 EPA 440/5-80-041 PB81-117525 D-562
Dichloropropane and Dichloropropene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-043 PB81-117541 D-564
Dinitrotoluene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-045 PB81-117566 D-566
Diphenylhydrazine 1980 EPA 440/5-80-062 PB81-117731 D-567
Dissolved Oxygen 1986 EPA 440/5-86-003 PB86-208253 D-568
Endosulfan 1980 EPA 440/5-80-046 PB81-117574 D-569
Endrin 1980 EPA 440/5-80-047 PB81-117582 D-570
Ethylbenzene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-048 PB81-117590 D-571
Fluoranthene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-049 PB81-117608 D-572
Haloethers 1980 EPA 440/5-80-050 PB81-117616 D-573
Halomethanes 1980 EPA 440/5-80-051 PB81-117624 D-574
Heptachlor 1980 EPA 440/5-80-052 PB81-117632 D-575
Hexachlorobutadiene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-053 PB81-117640 D-576
Hexachlorocyclohexane 1980 EPA 440/5-80-054 PB81-117657 D-577
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-055 PB81-117665 D-578
Isophorone 1980 EPA 440/5-80-056 PB81-117673 D-579
Lead - 1980 1980 EPA 440/5-80-057 PB81-117681 D-580
Lead - 1984 1984 EPA 440/5-84-027 PB85-227437 D-581
Mercury - 1980 1980 EPA 440/5-80-058 PB81-117699 D-582
Mercury - 1984 1984 EPA 440/5-84-026 PB85-227452 D-643
Naphthalene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-059 PB81-117707 D-583
Nickel - 1980 1980 EPA 440/5-80-060 PB81-117715 D-584
Nickel - 1986 1986 EPA 440/5-86-004 PB87-105359 D-585
Nitrobenzene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-061 PB81-117723 D-586
Nitrophenols 1980 EPA 440/5-80-063 PB81-117749 D-587
Nitrosamines 1980 EPA 440/5-80-064 PB81-117756 D-588
Parathion - 1986 1986 EPA 440/5-86-007 PB87-105383 D-589
Pentachlorophenol - 1980 1980 EPA 440/5-80-065 PB81-117764 D-590
Pentachlorophenol - 1986 1986 EPA 440/5-86-009 PB87-105391 D-591
Phenol 1980 EPA 440/5-80-066 PB81-117772 D-592
Phthalate Esters 1980 EPA 440/5-80-067 PB81-117780 D-593
Polychlorinated Biphenyls 1980 EPA 440/5-80-068 PB81-117798 D-628
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons 1980 EPA 440/5-80-069 PB81-117806 D-594
Selenium - 1980 1980 EPA 440/5-80-070 PB81-117814 D-595
Selenium - 1987 1987 EPA 440/5-87-006 PB88-142237 D-596
Silver 1980 EPA 440/5-80-071 PB81-117822 D-597
Tetrachloroethylene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-073 PB81-117830 D-599
Thallium 1980 EPA 440/5-80-074 PB81-117848 D-600
Toluene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-075 PB81-117855 D-601
Toxaphene - 1980 1980 EPA 440/5-80-076 PB81-117863 D-602
Toxaphene - 1986 1986 EPA 440/5-86-006 PB87-105375 D-603
Trichloroethylene 1980 EPA 440/5-80-077 PB81-117871 D-604
Vinyl Chloride 1980 EPA 440/5-80-078 PB81-117889 D-605
Zinc 1980 EPA 440/5-80-079 PB81-117897 D-607

Top of Page