title: The Mussel Watch California pilot study on contaminants of emerging concern (CECs): synthesis and next steps.
abstract: A multiagency pilot study on mussels (Mytilus spp.) collected at 68 stations in California revealed that 98% of targeted contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) were infrequently detectable at concentrations ≤ 1 ng/g. Selected chemicals found in commercial and consumer products were more frequently detected at mean concentrations up to 470 ng/g dry wt. The number of CECs detected and their concentrations were greatest for stations categorized as urban or influenced by storm water discharge. Exposure to a broader suite of CECs was also characterized by passive sampling devices (PSDs), with estimated water concentrations of hydrophobic compounds correlated with Mytilus concentrations. The results underscore the need for focused CEC monitoring in coastal ecosystems and suggest that PSDs are complementary to bivalves in assessing water quality. Moreover, the partnership established among participating agencies led to increased spatial coverage, an expanded list of analytes and a more efficient use of available resources.
authors.affiliation: Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority, 3535 Harbor Boulevard Suite 110, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA. Electronic address: keithm@sccwrp.org.
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Maruya
authors.affiliation: Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority, 3535 Harbor Boulevard Suite 110, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Dodder
authors.affiliation: Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority, 3535 Harbor Boulevard Suite 110, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Weisberg
authors.affiliation: California State Water Resources Control Board, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gregorio
authors.affiliation: California State Water Resources Control Board, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.affiliation: San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klosterhaus
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO 65201, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225, USA.
authors.forename: Edward T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Furlong
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 1305 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bricker
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 1305 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
authors.forename: Kimani L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kimbrough
authors.affiliation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 1305 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA. Electronic address: gglauenstein@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gunnar G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Lauenstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002140:California; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D049878:Mytilus / Q000378:metabolism*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012758:Shellfish / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: California; Coastal ecosystems; Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs); Mussel Watch; Mytilus; Passive sampling devices