title: Caffeine in Boston Harbor past and present, assessing its utility as a tracer of wastewater contamination in an urban estuary.
abstract: Sites throughout Boston Harbor were analyzed for caffeine to assess its utility as a tracer in identifying sources of sanitary wastewater. Caffeine ranged from 15ng/L in the outer harbor to a high of 185ng/L in the inner harbor. Inner harbor concentrations were a result of combined sewage overflow (CSO) events as well as illicit discharge of sanitary sewage into municipal storm drains. Comparing current results to data from 1998 to 1999 shows reductions in caffeine levels. Reductions are attributed to termination of effluent discharge to the harbor, declines in the number of CSOs and discharge volume along with efforts to eliminate illicit discharges. Spatial distributions of caffeine identified CSOs as major contemporary sources to the inner harbor. The findings further establish the utility of caffeine as a tracer for sanitary wastewater contamination in urban estuaries and demonstrate the efficacy of pollution reduction strategies undertaken in recent decades in Boston Harbor.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA. Electronic address: cantwell.mark@epa.gov.
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cantwell
authors.affiliation: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
authors.forename: Julia C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1, Boston, MA 02109, USA.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Borci
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts, Boston School for the Environment, Boston, MA 02125, USA.
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001900:Boston; D002110:Caffeine / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D063366:Estuaries; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Boston Harbor; CSOs; Caffeine; Tracer; Wastewater