Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams, 1999−2000:  A National Reconnaissance

Abstract

To provide the first nationwide reconnaissance of the occurrence of pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants (OWCs) in water resources, the U.S. Geological Survey used five newly developed analytical methods to measure concentrations of 95 OWCs in water samples from a network of 139 streams across 30 states during 1999 and 2000. The selection of sampling sites was biased toward streams susceptible to contamination (i.e. downstream of intense urbanization and livestock production). OWCs were prevalent during this study, being found in 80% of the streams sampled. The compounds detected represent a wide range of residential, industrial, and agricultural origins and uses with 82 of the 95 OWCs being found during this study. The most frequently detected compounds were coprostanol (fecal steroid), cholesterol (plant and animal steroid), N,N-diethyltoluamide (insect repellant), caffeine (stimulant), triclosan (antimicrobial disinfectant), tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (fire retardant), and 4-nonylphenol (nonionic detergent metabolite). Measured concentrations for this study were generally low and rarely exceeded drinking-water guidelines, drinking-water health advisories, or aquatic-life criteria. Many compounds, however, do not have such guidelines established. The detection of multiple OWCs was common for this study, with a median of seven and as many as 38 OWCs being found in a given water sample. Little is known about the potential interactive effects (such as synergistic or antagonistic toxicity) that may occur from complex mixtures of OWCs in the environment. In addition, results of this study demonstrate the importance of obtaining data on metabolites to fully understand not only the fate and transport of OWCs in the hydrologic system but also their ultimate overall effect on human health and the environment.

Monitoring of selected estrogenic compounds and estrogenic activity in surface water and sediment of the Yellow River in China using combined chemical and biological tools

“…The concentrations of E1 in the Yellow river water are lower than those in the Pearl River (Zhao et al, 2009), Dan-Shui River of China , Tama River of Japan (Furuichi et al, 2004) and streams of USA (Kolpin et al, 2002), but higher than those in the lakes and rivers of Korea and the Venice lagoon of Italy (Pojana et al, 2007), and comparable to those in surface water samples of Australia (Hohenblum et al, 2004;Ying et al, 2009) (Table 2). Estradiol (E2) was only detected at 2.3 ng/L in site 4 of the Yellow River.…”

“…The concentrations of TCS in the Yellow River are higher than those of the river water in Korea (Table 2). However, much higher concentrations of TCS in surface water were reported by Kolpin et al (2002) with the maximum concentration up to 2300 ng/L in US streams.…”

“…This study Chen et al, 2006;Peng et al, 2006;Zhao et al, 2009, 2011Jin et al, 2004Chen et al, 2007Khim et al, 1999Ko et al, 2007;Kim et al, 2007;Li et al, 2004Furuichi et al, 2004Hohenblum et al, 2004;Isobe et al, 2001Hibberd et al, 2009Liu et al, 2004;Petrovic et al, 2002;Zhang et al, 2006Pojana et al, 2007Hohenblum et al, 2004Ying et al, 2009Kolpin et al, 2002Stuart et al, 2005 a Concentration range: minimum to maximum (median). weak based on the calculated pseudo-partitioning coefficients: 0e598 L/kg, 14e287 L/kg, 0e192 L/kg and 0e383 L/kg for 4-t-OP, 4-NP, BPA and TCS.…”

“…Chemical analysis using gas chromatographyemass spectrometry (GCeMS) or liquid chromatographyetandem mass spectrometry (LCeMS/MS) has developed rapidly to provide better systems for identifying EDCs in the environment (Chen et al, 2010;Kim et al, 2007;Ko et al, 2007;Kolpin et al, 2002;Labadie and Hill, 2007;Micic and Hofmann, 2009;Ying et al, 2009). Several in vitro bioassays (e.g.…”

Elucidating the impact of microbial community biodiversity on pharmaceutical biotransformation during wastewater treatment

“…In addition to conventional pollutants, however, thousands of pharmaceuticals are excreted by humans in intact and metabolized forms, reaching WWTPs before being released into the environment (Kolpin et al ., 2002). The ability of the microbes in WWTPs to biotransform these chemicals is an area of great interest (Carballa et al ., 2004; Castiglioni et al ., 2005; Nakada et al ., 2006; Kasprzyk‐Hordern et al ., 2009).…”