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Characterizing the Chemical and Biological Impacts of Food Production Related Effluents on US Surface Waters
Citation:
Hofer, R., P. Bradley, C. Givens, L. Hubbard, D. Kolpin, K. Romanok, K. Smalling, B. Blackwell, AND Dan Villeneuve. Characterizing the Chemical and Biological Impacts of Food Production Related Effluents on US Surface Waters. SETAC North America, Fort Worth, TX, November 15 - 19, 2020. https://doi.org/10.23645/epacomptox.13200908
Impact/Purpose:
Wastewater from food production represents a potentially understudied source of surface water contamination. The current study was implemented as a reconnaissance effort to characterize chemical and biological impacts to surface waters influenced by wastewater from food production, including fish, meat, fruit and vegetable, and dairy processing as well as brewery and distillery operations. Surface waters collected from 23 impacted sites from 17 states across the US were analyzed for more than 570 chemicals, along with bioactivity screening of ~70 endpoints using Attagene Factorial assays. More than 170 chemicals were detected at least once at one or more sites, and 38 biological endpoints were active at two or more sites. Initial results indicate food production wastewaters could be a significant source of bioactive contaminants.
Description:
Environmental monitoring of surface waters is commonly focused on impacts from specific point sources, such as municipal wastewater effluents. While both municipal and industrial effluents are scrutinized as sources of bioactive contaminants in the environment, food production-related effluents have received relatively little attention. The current study was designed as a screening level reconnaissance of surface waters impacted by wastewater from food production, including fish, meat, fruit and vegetable, and dairy processing as well as brewery and distillery operations, to better characterize their potential contribution to contaminant loading in surface waters. Surface waters collected from 23 impacted sites from 17 states across the US were analyzed for more than 530 target organics (pesticides, pharmaceuticals, wastewater indicators, volatile organic chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics), 40 inorganics, and microbial indicators. Surface water extracts were additionally screened for activity of approximately 70 biological endpoints using Attagene Factorial assays. More than 170 chemicals were detected at least once at one or more sites. Bioassay screening identified a total of 38 active endpoints at two or more sites, with up to 30 assays active for a single extract. Across assay endpoints, pregnane X receptor (PXR), aryl hydrocarbon (Ahr), and estrogen response element (ERE) were the most commonly activated endpoints, at 22 sites each. Chemical and bioassay data will be presented with a focus on identification of relationships between chemical occurrence and biological activity. Initial results indicate food production effluents may represent a significant source of bioactive contaminants to receiving surface waters. The contents of this abstract neither constitute, nor necessarily reflect, official US EPA policy.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Characterizing the Chemical and Biological Impacts of Food Production Related Effluents on US Surface Waters