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(T/EH101) Environmental fate of triclosan in the River Aire Basin, UK. Sabaliunas, Darius1, Webb, Simon2, Hauk, Armin3, Eckhoff, William4, 1 2 3 4 ABSTRACT- Triclosan (TCS) is an antibacterial ingredient widely used in consumer products, including cosmetics. One of the main routes this chemical enters the environment is via down-the-drain disposal of consumer products. The concentration and distribution of TCS in the aquatic environment is governed by its removal rate during wastewater treatment and subsequent partitioning, chemical and biodegradation in surface waters. Partitioning to other compartments, bioavailability and ecotoxicity are also dependent on the ratio between its protonated and non-ionic forms. In the current study, we measured the concentrations and removal of TCS in trickling filter (TF) and activated sludge (AS) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the River Aire Basin in the UK. Additionally, the in-stream removal of TCS was measured directly in the river receiving the treated wastewater discharge from the TF plant. The in-stream removal of the truly dissolved (i.e. bioavailable) fraction of the chemical was measured using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) deployed at various distances downstream from the WWTP discharge point. The estimated removal rates were used in GREAT-ER (Geography-referenced regional exposure assessment tool for European rivers) to predict the site-specific distribution of TCS concentrations in the Aire Basin. High WWTP (ca 95%) and in-stream (in the range of 0.04-0.1 h-1, preliminary data) removal rates of TCS confirm that this chemical is not persistent and quickly dissipates in the aquatic environment. Key words: fate, die-away, GREAT-ER, SPMD |
