Improvements in Wastewater Treatment Reduces Endocrine Disruption in Fish
The Boulder Wastewater Treatment Facility, Colorado (circa 2005)
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
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.