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Evaluation of Wastewater Tracers and Salinity to Predict Pharmaceutical Distributions in The Long Island Sound Estuary
Citation:
Cantwell, M., D. Katz, J. Sullivan, AND M. Lyman. Evaluation of Wastewater Tracers and Salinity to Predict Pharmaceutical Distributions in The Long Island Sound Estuary. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America 39th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA, November 04 - 08, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Little is known about the behavior, fate and effects of pharmaceutical compounds in urban estuaries. Estuaries are often receiving waters for domestic wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, many of which service large cities and highly populated areas. This study focused on the distribution of 16 highly prescribed pharmaceuticals within the Long Island Sound (LIS). Findings indicate that the pharmaceutical concentrations were highest in western LIS and declined steadily eastward, tracking well with population density. Two wastewater tracers were tested, sucralose an artificial sweetener and caffeine, with both accurately predicting pharmaceutical behavior in LIS, while only sucralose performed well at the river sites. Continuous release from WWTPs and rivers containing effluents resulted in sustained concentrations of pharmaceuticals to LIS. Work is continuing in order to improve our understanding of the fate of pharmaceuticals in estuaries using wastewater tracers.
Description:
Urban estuaries such as Long Island Sound (LIS) receive large volumes of treated effluents from numerous municipal wastewater treatment facilities. These effluents contain many classes of contaminants including pharmaceutical compounds. In this study water was sampled for 16 highly prescribed pharmaceuticals at 17 sites along the Long Island Sound (LIS) estuary and at the river mouths of four of its major tributaries in Connecticut. Pharmaceutical concentrations were highest in western LIS, ranging from non-detect to 71 ng/L and declined steadily eastward, while river samples ranged from non-detect to 83 ng/L. Two wastewater tracers were tested, sucralose and caffeine, with both accurately predicting pharmaceutical behavior in LIS, while only sucralose performed well at the river sites. Sucralose also correlated well with salinity in LIS, exhibiting conservative behavior along the transect. Attenuation coefficients were determined for measurable pharmaceuticals present in the water column and compared against sucralose to estimate the magnitude of decline in concentrations that may be attributable to in situ degradation. The results provide further evidence of sucralose’s effectiveness as a tracer of wastewater-borne contaminants under estuarine conditions.