Evaluation of Watershed Susceptibility to Contaminants of Emerging Concern

Abstract

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are raising public awareness because of their potential effect on aquatic ecosystems and public health. For this study, the authors applied spatial analyses to four selected US watersheds to identify critical areas susceptible to CECs and used watershed characteristics (i.e., potential source distribution, land use, climatic and hydrologic conditions) to prioritize the types of CECs. The results identified sub‐basins where major wastewater treatment plants are located as critical areas for potential CEC point source pollution in general. Sub‐basins containing intensive agricultural activities with high precipitation greatly contributed to CEC pollution, especially during wet‐weather periods. The rank of prioritized prescribed pharmaceutical groups was similar for most watersheds because of the association between pharmaceutical groups and population demographics. Prioritized pesticide types were dependent on the type and areas of crops and urban yards in each watershed. This study demonstrates the utility of using spatial analysis for effectively assessing CECs in watersheds, which is important for the implementation of monitoring and management strategies.

An Assessment of the Spatial and Temporal Variability of Biological Responses to Municipal Wastewater Effluent in Rainbow Darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) Collected along an Urban Gradient

“…Wastewaters are complex mixtures of chemicals and nutrients that can vary temporally, and their composition is also dependent on the degree and type of treatment processes [ 7 , 13 , 29 , 30 ]. Additionally, natural systems contain many other anthropogenic and natural stressors that can vary spatially and temporally across watersheds, creating confounding or cumulative effects [ 31 , 32 ]. As a result, measures of fish health in receiving waters vary widely over time.…”

Impacts on Metabolism and Gill Physiology of Darter Species (Etheostoma spp.) That Are Attributed to Wastewater Effluent in the Grand River

“…Responses documented at US2 and DS2 may indicate that fish were responding to other stressors upstream, such as non-point sources of agricultural and urban inputs. These inputs should be considered for future studies, as effects can be hard to differentiate from the MWWTP inputs [1,48]. ).…”

“…In the Grand River, located in Southwestern Ontario, contaminant inputs from effluent discharged by municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) enter the water and have effects on the fish populations living downstream from the outfall. The effluent post-treatment contains contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), and other substances that can cause sub-lethal effects [1,2]. In past studies, effects on reproduction, growth, sex ratios, metabolism, and molecular signatures have all been identified as maladaptive phenotypes in downstream locations from MWWTPs in this area, which were attributed to effluent exposure [3][4][5].…”

Predicting nonpoint stormwater runoff quality from land use

“…In response to these impairments, watershed management practices have become a critical objective for quality improvement of streams and lakes [ 7 , 8 ]. Research provides strong evidence that urbanization creates excess sediments, nutrients, and metals that directly impact ecological properties and stability of surface waters [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. These impacts create biogeochemical instabilities as new pathways are created for sediments to be washed into receiving streams and lakes during storm events [ 14 , 15 ].…”