Citation:

Pronschinske, M., S. Corsi, L. DeCicco, E. Furlong, G. Ankley, B. Blackwell, D. Villeneuve, P. Lenaker, AND M. Nott. Prioritizing Pharmaceutical Contaminants in Great Lakes Tributaries Using Risk-Based Screening Techniques. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, 41(9):2221-2239, (2022). https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5403

Impact/Purpose:

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are common surface water contaminants for which aquatic toxicity information needed to conduct a thorough risk assessment are often lacking. Under Focus area 1 (Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern), one of the aims of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) was to identify emerging contaminants and assess their effects on Great Lakes fish and wildlife. The present study reports on the monitoring of PPCPs among 16 different Great Lakes tributaries and assembled available toxicity information to prioritize the PPCPs with regard to their potential for biological effects in Great Lakes ecosystems and also to identify toxicity data gaps for the frequently detected compounds. Additionally, results indicated that wastewater discharges were not the only source of concern for PPCPs. This research supports efforts by Region 5 GLNPO and the states to achieve defined goals under the GLRI.

Description:

In a study of 44 diverse sampling sites across 16 Great Lakes tributaries, 110 pharmaceuticals were detected of 257 monitored. The present study evaluated the ecological relevance of detected chemicals and identified heavily impacted areas to help inform resource managers and guide future investigations. Ten pharmaceuticals (caffeine, nicotine, albuterol, sulfamethoxazole, venlafaxine, acetaminophen, carbamazepine, gemfibrozil, metoprolol, and thiabendazole) were distinguished as having the greatest potential for biological effects based on comparison to screening-level benchmarks derived using information from two biological effects databases, the ECOTOX Knowledgebase and the ToxCast database. Available evidence did not suggest substantial concern for 75% of the monitored pharmaceuticals, including 147 undetected pharmaceuticals and 49 pharmaceuticals with screening-level alternative benchmarks. However, because of a lack of biological effects information, screening values were not available for 51 detected pharmaceuticals. Samples containing the greatest pharmaceutical concentrations and having the highest detection frequencies were from Lake Erie, southern Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron tributaries. Samples collected during low-flow periods had higher pharmaceutical concentrations than those collected during increased-flow periods. The wastewater-treatment plant effluent content in streams correlated positively with pharmaceutical concentrations. However, deviation from this correlation demonstrated that secondary factors, such as multiple pharmaceutical sources, were likely present at some sites. Further research could investigate high-priority pharmaceuticals as well as those for which alternative benchmarks could not be developed.

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