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USEPA Regional Applied Research Effort (RARE): Evaluating effects of bioactive contaminants related to municipal wastewater discharges on the South Platte and Colorado River watersheds
Citation:
Blackwell, B. USEPA Regional Applied Research Effort (RARE): Evaluating effects of bioactive contaminants related to municipal wastewater discharges on the South Platte and Colorado River watersheds. The Consortium for Research and Education on Emerging Contaminants, Duluth, MN, May 02, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
In 2018, a USEPA Regionally Applied Research Effort (RARE) was awarded to better characterize the occurrence of both chemical compounds and biological activity related to municipal wastewater discharges in western rivers. This presentation will summarize the current status of ongoing research and highlight initial findings related to the occurrence of chemical and biological activity.
Description:
Previous chemical and biological monitoring on both the South Platte and Colorado Rivers identified several contaminants and bioactivities of interest. In 2018, a USEPA Regionally Applied Research Effort (RARE) was awarded to better characterize the occurrence of both chemical compounds and biological activity related to municipal wastewater discharges in both watersheds for 2018-2019. During this timeframe, the municipal wastewater treatment plant in Moab, UT was scheduled to be upgraded, so sites along the Colorado River additionally provided a unique opportunity to examine the effects of infrastructure upgrades on chemical occurrence and bioactivity. The primary bioactivites of interest previously identified at these locations include estrogen receptor (ER), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARã). To better understand occurrence of bioactive compounds in these watersheds, bimonthly water samples were collected from ten to twelve locations at each watershed for both chemical and in vitro bioassay analysis. During one monthly collection, caged fathead minnows were also deployed for four to five days at select sites to investigate in vivo responses related to the previously noted biological pathways. Preliminary results from the first year of sampling will be presented highlighting potential contaminants and bioactivities of concern in each watershed.