PARENT SESSION

HA6 Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Wastewater Treatment Effluents
202 Oregon Ballroom
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Thursday

() Concentrations of organic compounds in five wastewater treatment sites in New York State.

Phillips, P¹, Stinson, B², Zaugg, S³, Furlong, E³, Anderson, J², Bodniewicz, B², ¹ U.S. Geological Survey, Troy, NY, USA² Metcalf and Eddy, New York, NY, USA³ U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO, USA

ABSTRACT- Analysis of more than 60 organic compounds in more than 100 samples collected from untreated sewage influents and treated effluents (25 and 31 samples, respectively) at five wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in New York State, and from stream-sampling sites above and the outfalls (21 and 27 samples, respectively) from May through December 2003 indicate that concentrations of organic compounds in WWTP effluents and receiving streams vary in response to three main factors, including size of the receiving stream, technology and operation of the WWTP, and chemical characteristics of sewage influent. More than 30 compounds were detected in at least 40 percent or more of influent or effluent samples; 23 of these compounds were detected at concentrations greater than 1 g/L in one or more of influent or effluent samples. Concentrations of these compounds were higher in stream-water samples collected downstream from WWTPs than in samples collected upstream, and were highest in small streams where wastewater discharge represented a large proportion of streamflow. The most frequently detected compounds can be grouped according to percentage difference between effluent and influent concentrations. Concentrations of some chlorinated phosphate flame retardants and musk fragrances in effluents were 40 to 70 percent of the concentrations in influents. Concentrations of detergent degradates, caffeine, and triclosan in effluents were less than 2 percent of those in influents at most, but not all WWTP. The smallest ratio of effluent concentrations to influent concentrations were in effluent samples collected from plants that use activated-sludge; the ratio in effluent samples from a plant using a trickling filter were higher and indicate a lesser removal or transformation of these compounds. Effluent samples from two sites commonly contained several drugs in concentrations greater than 10 g/L; these concentrations are attributed to manufacturing plants that discharge large volumes of wastewater to these WWTPs.

Key words: Effluent, Organic, Drugs, Sewage