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EMERGING CONTAMINANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Citation:
RICHARDSON, S. D. EMERGING CONTAMINANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT. Presented at Tenth International Symposium on Biological and Environmental Reference Materials, Charleston, SC, April 03 - 07, 2006.
Impact/Purpose:
(1) Use a toxicity-based approach to prioritize and identify DBPs that show the greatest toxic response. (2) Comprehensively identify DBPs formed by different disinfectant regimes for the 'Four Lab Study'. (3) Determine the mechanisms of formation for potentially hazardous bromonitromethane DBPs.
Description:
Much has been achieved in the way of environmental protection over the last 30 years. However, as we learn more, new concerns arise. This presentation will discuss chemical and microbial contaminants that the U.S. EPA and other agencies are currently concerned about. In this group of contaminants are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), pharmaceuticals, pesticide degradation/reaction products, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs); emerging drinking water pollutants, such as perchlorate, organotins, and algal toxins; new drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs), such as nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), iodo-acids, iodo-trihalomethanes, and bromonitromethanes; as well as pathogenic microorganisms like Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Legionella, microsporidia, and Helicobacter pylori. Many of these contaminants have been proposed for consideration under the Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule, which requires EPA to select five or more contaminants every five years to consider for regulation. In 1998, a Contaminant Candidate List was established, which explicitly identifies drinking water contaminants that might be regulated by EPA at a future date. Analytical methods are available for many of the proposed contaminants; however, several contaminants do not have rugged, reliable methods. The status and issues with these chemical contaminants will be discussed.