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Assessing the occurrence and magnitude of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in 50 of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the USA
Citation:
Lazorchak, Jim, M. Kostich, A. Batt, M. Mills, L. Zintek, AND S. Nakayama. Assessing the occurrence and magnitude of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in 50 of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the USA. To be Presented at SETAC NA, Vancouver, CANADA, November 09 - 13, 2014.
Impact/Purpose:
This presentation will cover a study conducted by a number of ORD collaborators assessing the occurrence and magnitude of different emerging contaminants in 50 large effluents in the US.
Description:
EPA scientists analyzed 24-hr composite samples from 50 large U.S. municipal wastewater plants (WWTPs) between January 2010 and April 2011. One hundred and twenty analytes were measured in each effluent sample, 63 high-priority active pharmaceutical ingredients and metabolites, 8 steroid hormones, 35 alkyl phenolic compounds, Bisphenol A (BPA), and 15 perfluorinated compounds (PFC). The WWTPS were identified from the 2004 Clean Watershed Needs Survey. These plants produce about 16% of all the municipal wastewater in the US. A total of 8 liters of finished effluent from each plant were collected by EPA Regional or Plant personnel, and then shipped to ORD-Cincinnati. The pharmaceutical results have already been published by Kostich et al. 2013. Of the 63 pharmaceutical analytes, 40 were detected at least once, 24 where found in 50 percent of the effluents sampled, 20 analytes were not detected in any of the effluents. One API (hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic used for the treatment of hypertension whose aquatic concentration has rarely been reported) was detected in all 50 effluents examined. In addition, metoprolol (an antihypertensive), atenolol (another antihypertensive), and carbamazepine (an anticonvulsant also used for other neurological and psychiatric conditions) were detected in more than 90% of effluents examined. The hormone results were a mean and max concentration in ng/l for Estradiol 1.33 and 13.82, Ethynylestradiol 0.83 and 3.5, progesterone 0.58 and 6.5. Ethynylestradiol was found in every effluent while estradiol was only detected in 37 of the effluents. The average and max concentration for BPA was 0.14 and 2.6 ug/L, for total Nonylphenol (NP3EO-NP18EO) mean and max were 13.36 and 250 ug/L. PFOS was found in 46 effluent samples ranging from 2.04 – 876 ug/L. Data will be presented on what a typical effluent in the U.S. has in the way of this mixture of CECs