x>EPA uses 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 ------- |