Emerging Contaminants in the Great Lakes Christina Pfouts

Objective: To discuss emerging contaminants in the Great Lakes and possible solutions  How to identify emerging contaminants  Current emerging contaminants  Sources  Problems  Research  Solutions  Conclusion

Identifying Emerging Contaminants  "a chemical or material that is characterized by a perceived, potential or real threat to human health or the environment " (EPA)  "any synthetic or naturally occurring chemical or any microorganism that is not commonly monitored in the environment but has the potential to enter the environment and cause known or suspected adverse ecological and (or) human health effects”(U.S. Geological Survey)

Current Emerging Contaminants  Flame retardants (PBDEs)  Fabrics, electronics, foams and fills that slow the progression of a fire  Toxic to crustaceans at concentrations available in the environment (Wollenberger et al )  Endocrine disruptor, effect metabolism in the liver, and increase liver weight (McDonald 2002) Endocrine disruptor: a synthetic chemical that when absorbed into the body can either mimic or block hormones and disrupts the body’s normal functions + Pharmaceuticals  Including hormones, pain relievers, antibiotics, psychopharmaceuticals  Effects have a wide range  Triclosan and triclocarban  Antibacterial used in numerous personal care products  Endocrine disruptor (Witorsch and Thomas 2010)

Current Emerging Contaminants cont.  Synthetic musks  Found in fragrances such as shampoos, soaps, candles and other personal care products  Not acutely toxic since concentration in the environment are a low levels, still have possible effects  Bisphenol A (BPA)  Additive to plastics, used in plastic bottles and metal cans to prevent corrosion  Endocrine disruptor

Sources  Non-point and point sources  From industries and storm water  Wastewater from households  Many emerging contaminants are found in personal care products  Water treatment facilities  When overflowing occurs

Problems  Commonly found in low levels, multiple sources and can cause long-term effects which may require long-term solutions  Concern for human and wildlife health effects  EPA does not have approved chemical methods to detect chemicals  Long-term effects are not known

Research  The EPA conducted a pilot study for pharmaceuticals and personal care products in fish tissue in 2006  Sampled from five streams near wastewater treatment plants in Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, Phoenix, and suburban Philadelphia for 24 commonly-used pharmaceuticals and 12 personal care products  These areas were suspected of heavy use of pharmaceuticals and personal care products

Results  7 of the 24 pharmaceuticals tested were found positive in the fillet and liver samples  In positive samples, all tested positive for the liver samples while 5 were positive in the fillet  Only 2 out of the 12 chemicals for personal care product tested were found, both fragrances  A more extensive study will be conducted of 150 urban river sites and will test for an expanded list of chemicals

Solutions  Eliminate all chemicals of concern until research can provide evidence of safe use  Place a heavy tax for use of these chemicals to deter companies from their use and use tax for remediation and research  Education of proper waste disposal and educate consumers  Continuation of research on best methods for testing and long-term effects

Conclusion  We have little information about emerging contaminants and their impacts  Impacts can be long-term and widespread  Identifying and understanding their impacts are the first steps to regulating their use  Education and research are essential to beginning to decrease the impact of emerging contaminants

Resources  Keehner, D. (2009, March). Pilot study of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in fish tissue. Retrieved from  Hemmett, R. (2008, January). Emerging contaminants. Retrieved from Contaminants of Concern web - EPA.pdf  Murphy, B. (2009, March). Binational toxic strategy. Retrieved from  Wollenberger L, Dinan L, Breitholtz M Brominated flame retardants – effects on the larval development of the marine copepod Acartia tonsa and on the ecdysteroid- sensitive Drosophila melanogaster BII-cell-line. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 24: 400–407.  McDonald TA A perspective on the potential health risks of PBDEs. Chemosphere 46: 745–755.  Witorsch RJ, Thomas JA Personal care products and endocrine disruption: A critical review of the literature. Crit Rev Toxicol. 40 Suppl 3:1-30.

Questions?