title: Fate of trace organics in a wastewater effluent dependent stream.
abstract: Trace organic compounds (TOrCs) in municipal wastewater effluents that are discharged to streams are of potential concern to ecosystem and human health. This study examined the fate of a suite of TOrCs and estrogenic activity in water and sediments in an effluent-dependent stream in Tucson, Arizona. Sampling campaigns were performed during 2011 to 2013 along the Lower Santa Cruz River, where TOrCs and estrogenic activity were measured in aqueous (surface) and solid (riverbed sediment) phases. Some TOrCs, including contributors to estrogenic activity, were rapidly attenuated with distance of travel in the river. Those TOrCs that are not sufficiently attenuated and percolate to ground water have in common low biodegradation probabilities and low octanol-water distribution ratios. Independent experiments showed that attenuation of estrogenic compounds may be due in part to indirect photolysis caused by formation of organic radicals from sunlight absorption. Hydrophobic TOrCs may accumulate in riverbed sediments during dry weather periods, but riverbed sediment quality is periodically affected through storm-related scouring during periods of heavy rainfall and runoff. Taken together, evidence suggests that natural processes can attenuate at least some TOrCs, reducing potential impacts to ecosystem and human health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Bingfeng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Penn State Greater Allegheny, Pennsylvania State University, McKeesport, PA 15132, USA.
authors.forename: Alandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kahl
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruehl
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Tianqi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: A Eduardo
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sáez
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. Electronic address: quanrud@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Quanrud
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Arnold
mesh_terms: D001130:Arizona; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Effluent dependent stream; Estrogenic activity; Solar photolysis; Trace organic compounds