Prioritization Approaches for Substances of Emerging Concern in Groundwater: A Critical Review

Abstract

Risks from emerging contaminants (ECs) in groundwater to human health and aquatic ecology remain difficult to quantify. The number of ECs potentially found in groundwater presents challenges for regulators and water managers regarding selection for monitoring. This study is the first systematic review of prioritisation approaches for selecting ECs that may pose a risk in groundwater. Online databases were searched for prioritisation approaches relating to ECs in the aquatic environment using standardised key word search combinations. From a total of 672, studies 33 met the eligibility criteria based primarily on the relevance to prioritising ECs in groundwater. The review revealed the lack of a groundwater specific contaminant prioritisation methodology in spite of widely recognised differences between groundwater and surface water environments in regards to pathways to receptors. The findings highlight a lack of adequate evaluation of methodologies for predicting the likelihood of an EC entering groundwater and highlights knowledge gaps regarding the occurrence and fate of ECs in this environment. The review concludes with a proposal for a prioritisation framework for ECs in groundwater monitoring which enables priority lists to be updated as new information becomes available for substances regarding usage, physico-chemical properties and hazards.

Calibration and field application of an innovative passive sampler for monitoring groundwater quality

“…Using such a device has many advantages over the conventional spot water sampling procedures that are used currently in GW monitoring programs across the globe. The use of passive samplers may help in the prioritization of emerging chemicals of concern in ground water; it is recognized that there is an urgent need for such a classification [58].…”

A European proposal for quality control and quality assurance of tandem mass spectral libraries

“…Existing techniques for prioritizing chemicals are generally based on risk assessment [55,56], which involves assessment of exposure and hazard. Other useful criteria might represent detectability by analytical techniques (e.g., LC-MS with ESI in positive or negative ion mode), legal status, importance for a defined research project [1], or simply the availability of reference information [4,5,57].…”

17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) limits the impact of ibuprofen upon respiration by streambed biofilms in a sub-urban stream

“…Human pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPS) are contaminants of 53 emerging concern within the environment [1,2]. Since the year 2000, pharmaceutical 54 use has grown by approximately 3% per year globally and this predicted to increase 55 further as human populations grow [3].…”

“…Rosi-Marshall et al [10] revealed 73 that aquatic PPCPs such as caffeine, cimetidine, ciprofloxacin, diphenhydramine, 74 metformin and ranitidine and negative effects upon biofilm growth, respiration, and 75 community composition. PPCPs, however, are diverse group of chemicals, which 76 may interact with each other in a multitude of different, and often-unexpected ways 77 [1,10,15]. Consequently, a mechanistic understanding of the interactions between 78 different PPCPs is needed if we are to fully understand their environmental impacts.…”

“…Within the broad spectrum of PPCPs the non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), 80 such as ibuprofen, and endocrine disruptors, such as 17a-estradiol, represent some 81 of the most commonly detected compounds in aquatic systems [1,4,9]. NSAIDs are 82 known to have antimicrobial properties, with ibuprofen exhibiting potential as a disruptors may adsorb onto microbial biofilms facilitating their biological degradation 85 [19][20][21].…”