You are here:
EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS AND CURRENT ISSUES
Citation:
RICHARDSON, S. D. EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS AND CURRENT ISSUES. Presented at Alberta Research Council, Edmonton and Vegreville, AB, CANADA, March 02, 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 emerging environmental contaminants that the U.S. EPA and other agencies are currently concerned about. Emerging contaminants include drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs), pharmaceuticals, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants, and algal toxins. Emerging DBPs include iodo-acids, iodo-trihalomethanes, bromonitromethanes, haloamides, and nitrosamines (including nitrosodimethylamine, NDMA). New toxicological research is revealing that some of these emerging DBPs are more genotoxic and cytotoxic than DBPs that are currently regulated. Moreover, there are new issues with the use of alternative disinfectants (chloramines, ozone, chlorine dioxide), as many of these emerging DBPs are increased in formation with alternative disinfectants, relative to chlorine. Some of the emerging contaminants (e.g., nitrosamines) are currently listed on the Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule (UCMR2), which requires EPA to select five or more contaminants every five years to consider for regulation. Other emerging contaminants are listed on the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL), which identifies drinking water contaminants that might be regulated by EPA at a future date, and other emerging contaminants are currently under consideration for the UCMR or CCL. The status and health/environmental issues with these emerging environmental contaminants will be discussed.