Environmental Impacts of Complex PPCP Exposure Mixtures in Iowa Wastewater Effluent Dominated Stream

Presented on April 27, 2022, by Alyssa Mianecki - University of Iowa - at the 2022 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference (ECEC22)

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are a persistent source of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP) to natural water bodies. An effluent dominated stream near Iowa City, IA, Muddy Creek, was monitored monthly for 109 pharmaceuticals/degradates for 1 year and monitored biweekly for the 14 most common pharmaceuticals/degradates for 2 years. Grab samples for a comprehensive non-target suspect screening (mass spectrometry) analysis were also collected after the initial monitoring period. As expected, PPCP concentrations decrease as the water moves away from the WWTP source, however, the mixture evolves rather than decreasing consistently for all PPCPs. The complex mixture evolution of in-stream PPCPs create unique exposure mixtures along the stream reach. To quantify the potential risks to stream organisms, fish and spiders were collected and extracted for the 14 most common pharmaceuticals/degradates. We expect that organisms residing in and near the stream will have a measurable body burden of PPCPs. This research demonstrates the environmental impacts of a single class of contaminants, PPCPs, in effluent dominated streams. Additionally, non-target suspect screening will reveal trends for more classes of polar organic contaminants. It is anticipated that Muddy Creek will be a model study site for other low-order, temperate region effluent dominated streams.

Download slides: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/114130