title: Surveillance for previously unmonitored organic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary.
abstract: The San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program initiated surveillance monitoring to identify previously unmonitored synthetic organic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary. Organic extracts of water samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in full scan mode. The major contaminant classes identified in the samples were fire retardants, pesticides, personal care product ingredients, and plasticizers. Evidence from the literature suggests that some of these contaminants can persist in the environment, induce toxicity, and accumulate in marine biota and in higher food chain consumers. The major sources of these contaminants into the marine environment are the discharge of municipal and industrial wastewater effluents, urban stormwater, and agricultural runoff. As a proactive effort, it is suggested that surveillance studies be used routinely in monitoring programs to identify and prevent potential problem contaminants from harming the marine environment.
authors.affiliation: San Francisco Estuary Institute, 7770 Pardee Lane, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94621, USA. daniel@sfei.org
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Oros
authors.forename: Walter M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Jarman
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Jay A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D002140:California; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D020387:Food Chain; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007220:Industrial Waste; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000032:analysis*; D011891:Rain; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D007220:Industrial Waste; D010575:Pesticides; D010968:Plasticizers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical