title: Presence and effects of pharmaceutical and personal care products on the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado.
abstract: Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have raised concerns due to their potential effects to aquatic organisms. These chemicals appear in mixtures at very low concentrations thus making their detection and quantification difficult. Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) concentrate trace levels of chemicals over time increasing method sensitivity and thus represent a cost-effective screening tool for biomonitoring studies. The Baca National Wildlife Refuge (BNWR), Colorado, is home for several endemic fish species, including Rio Grande chub (Gila pandora). The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the types and concentrations of PPCPs in the Refuge, (2) compare and contrast two methods (grab and POCIS) for the quantification of PPCPs from surface water, and (3) determine effects due to PPCP exposure in fish. Between 2011 and 2013, 141 PPCPs were quantified using a combination of grab samples and POCIS. Although no PPCPs were detected from the grab samples, high concentrations of N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) and triclosan were detected in all fish sampling sites with POCIS. Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and Rio Grande chubs of both sexes were collected in 2011 and 2012. Several biological responses were observed in both species from creeks contaminated with PPCPs; however the presence of PPCPs in the reference site did not allow for valid data comparison and interpretation. We conclude that POCIS is a sensitive method for the detection and quantification of PPCPs and for identification of reference sites and that appropriate "reference" sites need to be identified at the BNWR for follow-up studies with native fish.
authors.affiliation: Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Jenny E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Zenobio
authors.affiliation: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Environmental Contaminants Program, Lakewood, CO 80255, USA.
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; University of South Carolina, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Leet
authors.affiliation: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Environmental Contaminants Program, Lakewood, CO 80255, USA.
authors.forename: Laura C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Archuleta
authors.affiliation: Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. Electronic address: mssepulv@purdue.edu.
authors.forename: Maria S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sepúlveda
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003120:Colorado; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: DEET; Endocrine disrupting chemicals; POCIS; Pharmaceuticals; Triclosan