The Future of Water Quality in the Finger Lakes

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The Future of Water Quality in the Finger Lakes

• Emerging threats
• By
• Jim Ryan
• Professor of Biology

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Possible Threats to Finger Lakes Waters
Contaminants can enter via Surface water
Ground water Contaminants can have Acute
effects Chronic effects
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Contaminant Effects on Human Health
Acute Health Effects - hours to
days Pathogens Nitrate Some Chemical
Contaminants PPCPs Chronic Health Effects -
years Chemical Contaminants Pesticides/Herbic
ides PPCPs
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• Contaminants Causing Acute Health Effects
• Viruses (e.g., Norwalk virus)
• Bacteria (e.g., Shigella, E. coli)
• Parasites Giardia lamblia,
• Cryptosporidium, protozoa
• or cysts
• Nitrate

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Sources of Contaminants With Acute Health
Effects Industrial activities Animal
feeding operations Agriculture Septic
systems and cesspools
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Contaminants Causing Chronic Health Effects
Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) solvents -
benzene, toluene Inorganic chemicals (IOCs)
metals - lead, mercury Synthetic organic
chemicals (SOCs) pesticides - atrazine,
alachlor
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Sources of Contaminants with Chronic Health
Effects Industrial and commercial activities
Landfills and surface impoundments
Agriculture Urban uses
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Atrazine example
Used as both a Herbicide and a Pesticide.
MCL 3 ppb 3mg/L
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EPA sets standards for drinking water -
MCL A maximum contaminant level is the
maximum permissible level of a contaminant in
drinking water that can be delivered to any user
of a public water system without causing
adverse health effects.
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Current SDWA Regulations Total
Trihalomethanes Chemical Rules (Phases I,
II, IIb, and V) Surface Water Treatment Rule
Total Coliform Rule Lead and Copper
Rule Stage 1 D/DBP Rule Interim
Enhanced SWTR Radionuclides Consumer
Confidence Report Rule Arsenic Filter
Backwash Recycling Rule Long Term 1 Enhanced
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Many compounds have no MCL regulations
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Unregulated and Emerging Threats
Personal Care Products Pharmaceuticals Antibioti
cs Fire Retardants
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2002 USGS Study of PPCPs in Nations Waters
Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic
Wastewater Contaminants in 139 U.S. Streams
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• Used New Analytical Procedures
• - Not Available 5 Years Ago
• Tested for Trace Amounts of 95 chemicals
• used everyday in homes, industry and agriculture,
  
• enter the environment in wastewater.
• These chemicals include
• Human and veterinary drugs Antibiotics
• Hormones/steroids Detergents
• Disinfectants Plasticizers
• Fire retardants Insecticides
• Antioxidants

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Main Results

• One or more chemicals detected in 80 of
  streams
• 82 of the 95 chemicals were detected at least
  once.
• Generally, chemicals were found at very low
  conc.
• (less than 1 part per billion).
• Mixtures of the chemicals were common
• 75 percent of the streams had more than one,
• 50 percent had 7 or more, and
• 34 percent had 10 or more.

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Focus on three classes
The most frequently detected chemicals (in
more than half of the streams) 1) Steroid
Hormones coprostanol (fecal steroid)
cholesterol (plant and animal steroid) 2)
Antibiotics 3) Prescription Drugs
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Steroid Hormones
Sources CAFOs Birth Control Pill Residues
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Antibiotics
Sources CAFOs via animal antibiotics Humans
via antibiotics in hand soaps etc.
Problems Antibiotic resistance
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Prescription and Non-prescription Drugs
Caffeine - stimulant Analgesics - tylenol,
advil, ibuprofen, etc Contraceptives - Oradiol,
estradiol Valium - antianxiety agents Sunscreen
agents - methylbenzylidene
All of these agents were found in the USGS study
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Compounds not studied but likely to be present
Propecia - adrenergic receptor inhibitors Coumadi
n - anticoagulants Antidepressants - Prozac,
Paxil, Zoloft, etc. Histamine blockers -
Pepcid, Zantac HIV Drugs - Retrovar,
Crixivan Hormonally active agents - Accutane,
Retin -A Illicit Street Drugs - Cocaine, PCP,
etc.
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Pathways of PPCPs
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Current Research ELISA tests for -
environmental estrogens - antibiotics used in
animals - Atrazine and Alochlor pesticides
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ELISA Methods
Reliable Precise Accurate Detects ppb