TY - JOUR
T1 - Fate of trace organics in a wastewater effluent dependent stream
AU - Dong, Bingfeng
AU - Kahl, Alandra
AU - Cheng, Long
AU - Vo, Hao
AU - Ruehl, Stephanie
AU - Zhang, Tianqi
AU - Snyder, Shane
AU - Sáez, A. Eduardo
AU - Quanrud, David
AU - Arnold, Robert G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2015/6/5
Y1 - 2015/6/5
N2 - Trace organic compounds (TOrCs) in municipal wastewater effluents that are discharged to streams are of potential concern to ecosystem and human health. This study examined the fate of a suite of TOrCs and estrogenic activity in water and sediments in an effluent-dependent stream in Tucson, Arizona. Sampling campaigns were performed during 2011 to 2013 along the Lower Santa Cruz River, where TOrCs and estrogenic activity were measured in aqueous (surface) and solid (riverbed sediment) phases. Some TOrCs, including contributors to estrogenic activity, were rapidly attenuated with distance of travel in the river. Those TOrCs that are not sufficiently attenuated and percolate to ground water have in common low biodegradation probabilities and low octanol-water distribution ratios. Independent experiments showed that attenuation of estrogenic compounds may be due in part to indirect photolysis caused by formation of organic radicals from sunlight absorption. Hydrophobic TOrCs may accumulate in riverbed sediments during dry weather periods, but riverbed sediment quality is periodically affected through storm-related scouring during periods of heavy rainfall and runoff. Taken together, evidence suggests that natural processes can attenuate at least some TOrCs, reducing potential impacts to ecosystem and human health.
AB - Trace organic compounds (TOrCs) in municipal wastewater effluents that are discharged to streams are of potential concern to ecosystem and human health. This study examined the fate of a suite of TOrCs and estrogenic activity in water and sediments in an effluent-dependent stream in Tucson, Arizona. Sampling campaigns were performed during 2011 to 2013 along the Lower Santa Cruz River, where TOrCs and estrogenic activity were measured in aqueous (surface) and solid (riverbed sediment) phases. Some TOrCs, including contributors to estrogenic activity, were rapidly attenuated with distance of travel in the river. Those TOrCs that are not sufficiently attenuated and percolate to ground water have in common low biodegradation probabilities and low octanol-water distribution ratios. Independent experiments showed that attenuation of estrogenic compounds may be due in part to indirect photolysis caused by formation of organic radicals from sunlight absorption. Hydrophobic TOrCs may accumulate in riverbed sediments during dry weather periods, but riverbed sediment quality is periodically affected through storm-related scouring during periods of heavy rainfall and runoff. Taken together, evidence suggests that natural processes can attenuate at least some TOrCs, reducing potential impacts to ecosystem and human health.
KW - Effluent dependent stream
KW - Estrogenic activity
KW - Solar photolysis
KW - Trace organic compounds
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U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.02.074
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.02.074
M3 - Article
C2 - 25777953
AN - SCOPUS:84924690163
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 518-519
SP - 479
EP - 490
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
ER -