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science BRIEF
BUILDING A SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION FOR SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS
Prevalence of Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water
across the United States
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research
and Development and the U.S. Geological Survey's Toxic
Substances Hydrology Program are collaborating on research to
determine the presence of emerging contaminants in both source
water and finished drinking water across the United States. These
"emerging contaminants" include a wide range of chemicals used
or even consumed in homes, businesses and industries.
Up to 50 drinking water treatment plants will be sampled across
the United States. The treatment plants chosen for this study have
source waters impacted by a variety of waste sources (e.g.
municipal waste, septic systems, livestock production, etc.).
Sampling is scheduled to begin in fall 2009 and is expected to be
completed in 2010. The samples will be analyzed for over 200
chemical and microbiological constituents, including:
• 117 prescription and nonprescription Pharmaceuticals and
their metabolites
• 17 perfluorinated compounds
• 13 industrial chemicals
• 11 fragrances
• 9 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• 8 hormones
• 8 pesticides
• 7 detergent-related chemicals
• 7 household chemicals
• 4 plant and animal sterols
• 3 phosphorous-based flame retardants
• 1 nanomaterial
• 5 bacteria
• 3 fungi
• 2 protozoa
• 2 viruses
Improvements in analytical chemistry instrumentation have
allowed scientists to measure increasingly lower amounts of
contaminants commonly used in today's society. Wastewater
treatment is not designed to specifically remove such
contaminants, and thus a portion can remain in wastewater
treatment plant effluents. Effluents can be a major source of these
contaminants because they are commonly discharged into surface
waters by wastewater treatment plants. Natural processes such as
photolysis, sorption, volatilization, degradation, and simple dilution
all act to generally decrease the concentrations of emerging
contaminants. However, if a drinking water treatment plant
facility is located downstream from a wastewater treatment plant
effluent outfall, or, is located in an area with high-density
household wastewater treatment or an area of intense livestock
production, there is potential for contaminants to be present in
finished drinking water. These contaminants currently are not
regulated in drinking water, and little is known about their
occurrence.
Study results will provide important baseline information on
emerging contaminants in drinking water and source waters
(untreated water from streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, or ground
water aquifers) as well as contaminants which persist following
drinking water treatment.
For more information, contact:
Susan T. Glassmeyer
Research Chemist, National Exposure Research Laboratory
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
glassmey er. susan@,epa. gov or 513-569-7526
Edward T. Furlong
Research Chemist
U.S. Geological Survey
efurlong(@,usgs.gov or 303-236-3941
Dana W. Kolpin
Research Hydrologist
U.S. Geological Survey
dwkolpintgiusgs.gov or 319-358-3614
June 2009
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Geological Survey
Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
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