1. What Emerging Pollutants of Concern (EPOCs) are present in the influent and effluent of the South Dade Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)? 2. What is the extent of removal of EPOCs at the South Dade WWTP and its existing Reuse facility? 3. What are the potential removal methods that could be applied in principal to remove EPOCs from reuse water? 4. What future monitoring and assessment of EPOCs, if any, should be carried out at the planned South-Miami Dade Wastewater Reuse Pilot test facility?
As part of developing the pilot project plan, the Project Delivery Team (PDT) will document the expected impact of discharging reuse water into the south Miami-Dade and Biscayne Bay ecosystems. In addition to ecological impacts caused by the discharge of typical wastewater pollutants, the PDT has determined that the presence of Emerging Pollutants of Concern (EPOCs) in the wastewater effluent should be studied. The ecological and human health impact of EPOCs in wastewater effluent has in recent years come to the attention of scientists as well as environmental regulators. Biscayne Bay and Biscayne Bay National Park are Outstanding Florida Waters and as such have an "anti-degradation" criteria applied to them. Anti-degradation criteria require that new discharges cannot cause or contribute to a decrease in water quality. For this reason it is critical to have an inventory of EPOCs in the wastewater in order to design treatment to remove them prior to their being discharged into Biscayne National Park.
Meyer, M. T.
Smith, S. G.; Schroeder, M. P.; Barber, L. B.; Burkhardt, M. R.
Furlong, E. T.; Burkhardt, M. R.; Kolpin, Dana; Anderson, L. G.
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current online version is effective 12/03/2008
Prakash, B.; Domino, M. M.; Pepich, B.
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The dry-season, low-inflow sampling event was conducted during March 2-3, 2004, with a measured average inflow rate of 83.7 Mgal/d and the wet-season, average-inflow sampling event was conducted during July 20-21, 2004, with a measured average inflow rate of 89.7 Mgal/d.
To prevent contamination or sorption of analytes, water samples used to determine organic compounds should only have direct contact with inert materials such as glass, metal, fluorocarbon polymers (for example, Teflon), or ceramics during sampling and processing (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 2004). In accordance with these requirements, water samples from the waste stream at the previously mentioned locations were collected using powderless nitrile laboratory gloves and a stainless-steel, weighted bottle sampler containing a 1-L amber borosilicate glass bottle with fluorocarbon polymer, fluorinated-ethylene-propylene lined caps. Because the chlorination process has been shown to facilitate degradation of certain organic constituents, samples collected at the reuse train and CLO2 pilot unit were dechlorinated with ascorbic acid (Winslow and others, 2001).
Collected samples were chilled immediately to 4 deg C and transported at the end of the 24-hour sampling period to the water-quality laboratory at the USGS Florida Integrated Science Center in Miami (now in Fort Lauderdale). Samples for each respective site and type were then composited in a 14-L fluoropolymer (Teflon) churn splitter for processing. Samples were processed according to protocol (U.S. Geological Survey, 2002). Processing equipment was decontaminated before and after samples were processed for each respective site according to protocol (U.S. Geological Survey, 2004).
Samples were processed in the following order based on their physical properties: organic wastewater compounds, pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotic compounds, and hormones.
Sampling for emerging contaminants required the use of special precautions to minimize the risk of compromising sample integrity. In accordance with this requirement, contact and consumption of specific compounds during sampling and processing for this study were avoided according to protocol (U.S. Geological Survey, 2002). These compounds include the following wastewater products: soaps and detergents, insect repellents, fragrances, sunscreen, caffeine, and tobacco products. Caution also was exercised in avoiding contact with the following pharmaceutical compounds: prescription drugs, medications and hormonal substances, nonprescription medications, and selected human and veterinary antibiotics. Powderless nitrile gloves were changed during activity changes and sample bottle changes. Direct contact between samples and clothing also was avoided during sampling and processing activities.
For complete details of the sampling and processing methods, see USGS SIR 2006-5420 at <http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2006/5240/>
Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Government
Organic Wastewater Compounds The NWQL-approved method is designed for compounds in the dissolved phase; therefore, samples were filtered in the laboratory before shipment to the NWQL for analysis. When a sample is received by the laboratory, 60 g of sodium chloride is added prior to refrigeration at 4 °C to aid sample preservation (Zaugg and others, 2001). To ensure that samples are processed in a timely manner, the maximum holding time allowed for samples processed by this method is 14 days from the date of sample collection. This method is suitable for compounds that: (1) partition from the water phase onto a polystyrene-divinylbenzene organic phase, and (2) are sufficiently volatile and thermally stable for gas chromatography.
Pharmaceutical Compounds The provisional analytical method used for the determination of pharmaceutical compounds utilizes combined solid pahse extraction (SPE) isolation and high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS). This method is sensitive for many compounds at concentrations less than 0.10 µg/L; method detection limit (MDL)s average 0.022 µg/L (Cahill and others, 2004).
Antibiotic Compounds Water samples were analyzed for compounds in the macrolide, sulfonamide, quinoline, tetracycline, and beta-lactam classes of antibiotics. The beta-lactams and macrolides (BLM), sulfonamides and quinolones (SQ), and tetracyclines (TET) were analyzed separately using on-line SPE methods and liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS) in positive-ion mode.
Hormones The analysis used for hormones is a provisional research method conducted by the Kansas Water Science Center, Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory. Semiquantitative analyses of the hormones 17 beta-estradiol (E2), ethenyl estradiol (EE2), and estrone (E1) were made using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method and an SPE-LC/MS method.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays The analysis of 17 beta-estradiol (E2) was performed using commercially available magnetic-particle ELISA kits (Abraxis, Warminster, Pennsylvania). The analytical protocol supplied by the manufacturer was followed, and the reported detection level is 1.5 ng/L.
Solid-Phase Extraction - Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Two subsets of samples, spiked and not spiked with estrone (E1), ethenyl estradiol (EE2), and 17 beta-estradiol (E2), were analyzed using SPE and LC/MS. Standard curves were prepared by spiking a 123-mL distilled-water sample using sample concentrations of 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10, 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 µg/L. Additionally, a set of 10 samples was spiked with a 0.2-µg/L sample concentration.
For complete details of the analyses, see USGS SIR 2006-5420 at <http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2006/5240/>
Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Government
Analyses were done for the following prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals: 1,7-dimethylxanthine; Aetaminophen; Azithromycin; Caffeine; Carbamazapine; Cimetidine; Codeine; Cotinine; Dehydronifedipine; Diltiazem; Diphenhydramine; Erythromycin; Fluoxetine; Furosemide; Gemfibrozil; Ibuprofen; Metformin; Miconazole; Ranitidine; Salbutamol; Sulfamethoxazole; Thiabendazole; Trimethoprim; and Warfarin.
Analyses were done for the following antibiotic and degradation products: macrolides, quinolines, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and beta lactams.
Analyses were done for the following hormones: 17 beta-estradiol (E2); Ethenyl estradiol (EE2); and Estrone (E1).
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U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
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