A team of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the University of Colorado, and the City of Boulder, Colorado, demonstrated that improvements to the treatment process at a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) reduced the level of endocrine disruption in fish exposed to wastewater effluent discharged from the facility. It is difficult to anticipate the effects that upgrading WWTF operations might have on stream ecosystems. In a recent article in Environmental Science and Technology the scientists report on a multiyear experiment to evaluate the impact on wastewater quality of a major upgrade to the Boulder, Colorado, WWTF. The facility was converted from a biological filter plant with solids contact to an activated sludge plant.
What They Did
In 2005 and 2007 the scientists established the water-quality conditions and level of fish endocrine disruption in test organisms before the upgrade. A similar set of investigations was conducted in 2008 and 2011 to document conditions after the upgrade. The two studies evaluated a wide variety of organic and inorganic contaminants and tracked their concentrations through the various treatment processes. Fish endocrine disruption was measured during controlled, 28-day onsite continuous-flow exposure experiments using different dilutions of wastewater. The fish experiments used sexually mature male fathead minnows and multiple indicators of endocrine disruption (biomarkers).
What They Found
The scientists found that the WWTF upgrade resulted in enhanced removal of hormones (steroidal estrogens) and other endocrine disrupting compounds from the wastewater, as well as a decrease in fish endocrine disruption. This research was funded by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area’s Environmental Health Program (Contaminant Biology and Toxic Substances Hydrology) and Hydrologic Research and Development Programs, and the National Science Foundation.
References
Barber, L.B., Vajda, A.M., Douville, C., Norris, D.O., and Writer, J.H., 2012, Fish endocrine disruption responses to a major wastewater treatment facility upgrade: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 46, no. 4, p. 2121-2131, doi:10.1021/es202880e.
Bradley, P.M., 2008, Potential for biodegradation of contaminants of emerging concern in streams systems, in Proceedings of the 2008 South Carolina Water Resources Conference, Charleston, S.C., October 14-15, 2008: (Presentation).
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Science Team
Gestodene Affects Fish Reproductive Behavior in Laboratory Exposure Study
Swine Manure Application as a Source of Hepatitis E Virus and other Livestock-Related Pathogens
Recovery of Stream and Adjacent Groundwater After Wastewater Treatment Facility Closure
Synthetic Progestin Affects Fish Reproductive Development and Behavior in Laboratory Exposure Study
Iodinated Disinfection Byproducts found in Dairy-Impacted Wastewaters and Streams
Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Environment
Complex Mixtures, Complex Responses—Using Comprehensive Approaches to Assess Pharmaceutical Effects on Fish
Potential Exposure to Bacteria and Viruses Weeks after Swine Manure Spill
Long-Term Study Finds Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Urban Waterways
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Persist Downstream from the Source
Chemicals Found in Treated Wastewater are Transported from Streams to Groundwater
Pharmaceuticals and Other Chemicals Common in Landfill Waste
Below are publications associated with this project.
Concentration of organic contaminants in fish and their biological effects in a wastewater-dominated urban stream
Fate of 4-nonylphenol and 17β-estradiol in the Redwood River of Minnesota
Lagrangian sampling of wastewater treatment plant effluent in Boulder Creek, Colorado, and Fourmile Creek, Iowa, during the summer of 2003 and spring of 2005— Hydrological and water-quality data
Biodegradation and attenuation of steroidal hormones and alkylphenols by stream biofilms and sediments
Lagrangian mass-flow investigations of inorganic contaminants in wastewater-impacted streams
Role of biofilms in sorptive removal of steroidal hormones and 4-nonylphenol compounds from streams
Role of biofilms in sorptive removal of steroidal hormones and 4-nonylphenol compounds from streams
Demasculinization of male fish by wastewater treatment plant effluent
Effects of biologically-active chemical mixtures on fish in a wastewater-impacted urban stream
Effects of biologically-active chemical mixtures on fish in a wastewater-impacted urban stream
Antidepressant pharmaceuticals in two U.S. effluent-impacted streams: Occurrence and fate in water and sediment and selective uptake in fish neural tissue
Anthropogenic tracers, endocrine disrupting chemicals, and endocrine disruption in Minnesota lakes
- Overview
A team of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the University of Colorado, and the City of Boulder, Colorado, demonstrated that improvements to the treatment process at a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) reduced the level of endocrine disruption in fish exposed to wastewater effluent discharged from the facility. It is difficult to anticipate the effects that upgrading WWTF operations might have on stream ecosystems. In a recent article in Environmental Science and Technology the scientists report on a multiyear experiment to evaluate the impact on wastewater quality of a major upgrade to the Boulder, Colorado, WWTF. The facility was converted from a biological filter plant with solids contact to an activated sludge plant.
Fish tanks inside an onsite laboratory where fathead minnows were exposed to untreated and treated wastewater for 28 days to test for possible endocrine disruption. Photo credit: Alan Vajda, University of Colorado. What They Did
In 2005 and 2007 the scientists established the water-quality conditions and level of fish endocrine disruption in test organisms before the upgrade. A similar set of investigations was conducted in 2008 and 2011 to document conditions after the upgrade. The two studies evaluated a wide variety of organic and inorganic contaminants and tracked their concentrations through the various treatment processes. Fish endocrine disruption was measured during controlled, 28-day onsite continuous-flow exposure experiments using different dilutions of wastewater. The fish experiments used sexually mature male fathead minnows and multiple indicators of endocrine disruption (biomarkers).
What They Found
The scientists found that the WWTF upgrade resulted in enhanced removal of hormones (steroidal estrogens) and other endocrine disrupting compounds from the wastewater, as well as a decrease in fish endocrine disruption. This research was funded by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area’s Environmental Health Program (Contaminant Biology and Toxic Substances Hydrology) and Hydrologic Research and Development Programs, and the National Science Foundation.
The Boulder Wastewater Treatment Facility, Colorado (circa 2005), before the upgrade to an activated sludge treatment process. Treated effluent from the plant is discharged to nearby Boulder Creek. In a small laboratory, seen in the lower left of the photograph, a team of scientists conducted fish exposure experiments using the treated effluent from the facility. Photo Credit: City of Boulder, Colorado. References
Barber, L.B., Vajda, A.M., Douville, C., Norris, D.O., and Writer, J.H., 2012, Fish endocrine disruption responses to a major wastewater treatment facility upgrade: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 46, no. 4, p. 2121-2131, doi:10.1021/es202880e.
Bradley, P.M., 2008, Potential for biodegradation of contaminants of emerging concern in streams systems, in Proceedings of the 2008 South Carolina Water Resources Conference, Charleston, S.C., October 14-15, 2008: (Presentation).
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Science Team
The team studies toxicants and pathogens in water resources from their sources, through watersheds, aquifers, and infrastructure to human and wildlife exposures. That information is used to develop decision tools that protect human and wildlife health.Filter Total Items: 20Gestodene Affects Fish Reproductive Behavior in Laboratory Exposure Study
Short-term laboratory exposure of adult fathead minnows to the human contraceptive progestin, gestodene (GES), at environmentally relevant concentrations induced rapid and negative effects on reproductive health and suggests that wild fish may be similarly affected.Swine Manure Application as a Source of Hepatitis E Virus and other Livestock-Related Pathogens
The presence of indicator bacteria, hepatitis E virus (HEV), and numerous bacterial pathogen genes increased following precipitation-induced runoff events in streams draining adjacent land surfaces in Iowa where swine manure was recently applied.Recovery of Stream and Adjacent Groundwater After Wastewater Treatment Facility Closure
The hydrology and chemistry of a wastewater-impacted stream and adjacent groundwater responded rapidly (had fewer chemicals at lower concentrations) following wastewater treatment facility shutdown. However, the adjacent shallow groundwater remained a continuing source of some wastewater-derived contaminants to the stream at least 1 year post-shutdown.Synthetic Progestin Affects Fish Reproductive Development and Behavior in Laboratory Exposure Study
Scientists conducted laboratory experiments on levonorgestrel (a synthetic progestin) and observed differential effects to males (reproductive behavior) and females (masculinization) of eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki).Iodinated Disinfection Byproducts found in Dairy-Impacted Wastewaters and Streams
Iodinated disinfection byproducts were found at stream locations downstream from treated discharge from wastewater treatment plants that receive dairy waste and in the wastewaters directly from dairy facilities.Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Environment
The USGS is conducting source-to-receptor research on a broad range of chemical and microbial contaminants including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pathogens, antibiotic resistant genes, and natural toxins that are not commonly considered in environmental research but have the potential to impact environmental health.Complex Mixtures, Complex Responses—Using Comprehensive Approaches to Assess Pharmaceutical Effects on Fish
The occurrence of complex mixtures of prescription pharmaceuticals in streams and rivers around the globe has raised concerns about potential unintended adverse effects on aquatic organisms. The deleterious effects (for example, alteration of fish behavior) observed in this study confirm that effluents containing pharmaceuticals can adversely affect fish in ways that are central to sustaining...Potential Exposure to Bacteria and Viruses Weeks after Swine Manure Spill
Manure spills may be an underappreciated pathway for livestock-derived contaminants to enter streams. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health studied an Iowa stream after the release of a large volume of swine manure (a manure spill). The scientists observed an increase in viruses and bacteria, which have the potential to cause human or...Long-Term Study Finds Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Urban Waterways
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists determined that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were present in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, water, and fish tissue in urban waterways in the Great Lakes and upper Mississippi River Regions (Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio) during 1999 through 2009.Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Persist Downstream from the Source
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were transported 2 kilometers downstream of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outfall in a coastal plain stream. EDCs persisted downstream of the outfall with little change in the numbers of EDCs and limited decreases in EDC concentrations.Chemicals Found in Treated Wastewater are Transported from Streams to Groundwater
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists studying a midwestern stream conclude that pharmaceuticals and other contaminants in treated wastewater effluent discharged to the stream are transported into adjacent shallow groundwater. Other mobile chemicals found in wastewater are expected to have similar fates.Pharmaceuticals and Other Chemicals Common in Landfill Waste
Landfill leachate contains a variety of chemicals that reflect our daily activities, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists concluded as a result of a nationwide study. Landfills are a common disposal mechanism for our Nation's solid waste from residential, commercial, and industrial sources. The scientists found that pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, and other contaminants of emerging... - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 23Concentration of organic contaminants in fish and their biological effects in a wastewater-dominated urban stream
Data are presented on the concentrations of alkylphenol and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) and persistent organic compounds in largemouth bass collected from a waste-water dominated stream in downtown Chicago. The fish residue concentrations of APEs are compared to concentrations of the APEs in the water that were collected at weekly intervals over two months bracketing the fall (2006) and a sprinAuthorsNuria Lozano, Clifford P. Rice, James Pagano, Larry Zintek, Larry B. Barber, Elizabeth W. Murphy, Todd G. Nettesheim, Thomas A. Minarik, Heiko L. SchoenfussFate of 4-nonylphenol and 17β-estradiol in the Redwood River of Minnesota
The majority of previous research investigating the fate of endocrine-disrupting compounds has focused on single processes generally in controlled laboratory experiments, and limited studies have directly evaluated their fate and transport in rivers. This study evaluated the fate and transport of 4-nonylphenol, 17β-estradiol, and estrone in a 10-km reach of the Redwood River in southwestern MinnesAuthorsJeffrey H. Writer, Joseph N. Ryan, Steffanie H. Keefe, Larry B. BarberLagrangian sampling of wastewater treatment plant effluent in Boulder Creek, Colorado, and Fourmile Creek, Iowa, during the summer of 2003 and spring of 2005— Hydrological and water-quality data
This report presents methods and data for a Lagrangian sampling investigation into chemical loading and in-stream attenuation of inorganic and organic contaminants in two wastewater treatment-plant effluent-dominated streams: Boulder Creek, Colorado, and Fourmile Creek, Iowa. Water-quality sampling was timed to coincide with low-flow conditions when dilution of the wastewater treatment-plant effluAuthorsLarry B. Barber, Steffanie H. Keefe, Dana W. Kolpin, Douglas J. Schnoebelen, Jennifer L. Flynn, Gregory K. Brown, Edward T. Furlong, Susan T. Glassmeyer, James L. Gray, Michael T. Meyer, Mark W. Sandstrom, Howard E. Taylor, Steven D. ZauggBiodegradation and attenuation of steroidal hormones and alkylphenols by stream biofilms and sediments
Biodegradation of select endocrine-disrupting compounds (17β-estradiol, estrone, 17α-ethynylestradiol, 4-nonylphenol, 4-nonylphenolmonoexthoylate, and 4-nonylphenoldiethoxylate) was evaluated in stream biofilm, sediment, and water matrices collected from locations upstream and downstream from a wastewater treatment plant effluent discharge. Both biologically mediated transformation to intermediateAuthorsJeffrey Writer, Larry B. Barber, Joseph N. Ryan, Paul M. BradleyLagrangian mass-flow investigations of inorganic contaminants in wastewater-impacted streams
Understanding the potential effects of increased reliance on wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents to meet municipal, agricultural, and environmental flow requires an understanding of the complex chemical loading characteristics of the WWTPs and the assimilative capacity of receiving waters. Stream ecosystem effects are linked to proportions of WWTP effluent under low-flow conditions as wellAuthorsL. B. Barber, Ronald C. Antweiler, J.L. Flynn, S.H. Keefe, D.W. Kolpin, D.A. Roth, D.J. Schnoebelen, Howard E. Taylor, P. L. VerplanckRole of biofilms in sorptive removal of steroidal hormones and 4-nonylphenol compounds from streams
Stream biofilms play an important role in geochemical processing of organic matter and nutrients, however, the significance of this matrix in sorbing trace organic contaminants is less understood. This study focused on the role of stream biofilms in sorbing steroidal hormones and 4-nonylphenol compounds from surface waters using biofilms colonized in situ on artificial substrata and subsequently tAuthorsJeffrey Writer, J. N. Ryan, L. B. BarberRole of biofilms in sorptive removal of steroidal hormones and 4-nonylphenol compounds from streams
Stream biofilms play an important role in geochemical processing of organic matter and nutrients, however, the significance of this matrix in sorbing trace organic contaminants is less understood. This study focused on the role of stream biofilms in sorbing steroidal hormones and 4-nonylphenol compounds from surface waters using biofilms colonized in situ on artificial substrata and subsequently tAuthorsJeffrey H. Writer, Joseph N. Ryan, Larry B. BarberDemasculinization of male fish by wastewater treatment plant effluent
Adult male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed to effluent from the City of Boulder, Colorado wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) under controlled conditions in the field to determine if the effluent induced reproductive disruption in fish. Gonadal intersex and other evidence of reproductive disruption were previously identified in white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) in Boulder CreeAuthorsA.M. Vajda, Larry B. Barber, James L. Gray, E.M. Lopez, A.M. Bolden, H.L. Schoenfuss, D.O. NorrisEffects of biologically-active chemical mixtures on fish in a wastewater-impacted urban stream
Stream flow in urban aquatic ecosystems often is maintained by water-reclamation plant (WRP) effluents that contain mixtures of natural and anthropogenic chemicals that persist through the treatment processes. In effluent-impactedstreams, aquatic organisms such as fish are continuously exposed to biologically-activechemicals throughout their life cycles. The North Shore Channel of the Chicago RiveAuthorsLarry B. Barber, Gregory K. Brown, Todd G. Nettesheim, Elizabeth W. Murphy, Stephen E. Bartell, Heiko L. SchoenfussEffects of biologically-active chemical mixtures on fish in a wastewater-impacted urban stream
Stream flow in urban aquatic ecosystems often is maintained by water-reclamation plant (WRP) effluents that contain mixtures of natural and anthropogenic chemicals that persist through the treatment processes. In effluent-impacted streams, aquatic organisms such as fish are continuously exposed to biologically-active chemicals throughout their life cycles. The North Shore Channel of the Chicago RiAuthorsL. B. Barber, G.K. Brown, T.G. Nettesheim, E.W. Murphy, S.E. Bartell, H.L. SchoenfussAntidepressant pharmaceuticals in two U.S. effluent-impacted streams: Occurrence and fate in water and sediment and selective uptake in fish neural tissue
Antidepressant pharmaceuticals are widely prescribed in the United States; release of municipal wastewater effluent is a primary route introducing them to aquatic environments, where little is known about their distribution and fate. Water, bed sediment, and brain tissue from native white suckers (Catostomus commersoni)were collected upstream and atpoints progressively downstream from outfalls disAuthorsM.M. Schultz, Edward T. Furlong, Dana W. Kolpin, Stephen L. Werner, H.L. Schoenfuss, Larry B. Barber, Vicki S. Blazer, D.O. Norris, A.M. VajdaAnthropogenic tracers, endocrine disrupting chemicals, and endocrine disruption in Minnesota lakes
Concentrations of endocrine disrupting chemicals and endocrine disruption in fish were determined in 11 lakes across Minnesota that represent a range of trophic conditions and land uses (urban, agricultural, residential, and forested) and in which wastewater treatment plant discharges were absent. Water, sediment, and passive polar organic integrative samplers (POCIS) were analyzed for steroidal hAuthorsJ.H. Writer, L. B. Barber, G.K. Brown, Howard E. Taylor, R.L. Kiesling, M.L. Ferrey, N.D. Jahns, S.E. Bartell, H.L. Schoenfuss