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Concentrations of chemicals of emerging concern are mediated by seasonal hydrodynamics in an offshore marine environment.
Citation:
Robuck, A., M. Cashman, M. Cantwell, M. Thompson, C. Gardiner, J. Sullivan, D. Wiley, P. DeCola, AND R. Lohmann. Concentrations of chemicals of emerging concern are mediated by seasonal hydrodynamics in an offshore marine environment. Outfall Monitoring Scientific Advisory Panel Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, February 10, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
Stellwagen Bank is a national marine sanctuary located off of the coast of Massachusetts (MA), USA. It is New England's sole marine sanctuary and is home to many aqautic species. It is also the location of a major wastewater discharge tunnel for the city of Boston, MA. In this study, we sampled surface and bottom water compartments in stratefied and unstratefied water column conditions at various distances from the waste water discharge pipe. Samples were analyzed for various pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, caffeine, sucralose, and Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These results show the fate of these contaminants in relation to the discharge pipe, and how concentrations change based on water stratification. This work highlights the potential for wastewater discharge contaminants to persist in marine environments. The audience of this presenation is a regional scientific panel.
Description:
Many contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including pharmaceuticals and personal care products, are distinct from legacy contaminants in their ability to travel readily in aqueous matrices, resulting in the common occurrence of CECs in aquatic system receiving point and nonpoint source waste streams; however, little data currently describes CEC concentrations in marine ecosystems. Here we measured 17 pharmaceuticals, caffeine, sucralose, and 25 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) surrounding a major wastewater discharge tunnel into Massachusetts Bay, USA. Water grabs were collected from surface and bottom water compartments during both stratified and unstratified water column conditions. Samples were analyzed for CECs using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Ten of 17 pharmaceuticals, sucralose, caffeine, and 9 PFAS were detected in surface and bottom water at low (<40 ng/L) to very low concentrations (<2 ng/L). Concentrations were proportional to proximity to the point source discharge, with the highest concentrations observed directly south of the outfall in accordance with regional circulation patterns. Stratified conditions mediated occurrence of CECs, with increased bottom water CEC concentrations during stratified conditions and increased surface water CEC concentrations during unstratified conditions. Concentrations of all analytes in both surface and bottom water were generally higher in winter, likely related to reduced biological degradation and uptake. This work highlights the potential for pharmaceuticals and other CECs to persist in marine environments and underscores the need for further evaluation of potential impacts of these compounds in marine biota subject to chronic, low-level exposures.