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Emerging Contaminants Targeted in a Reconnaissance of Ground Water and Untreated Drinking-Water Sources
Two national-scale reconnaissance studies recently conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) were the first to collect baseline information on the environmental occurrence of pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, detergents, flame retardants, naturally occurring sterols, and other organic contaminants in ground water and untreated sources of drinking water in the United States. These contaminants are commonly associated with human- and animal-waste sources, though other natural and human-related sources are also possible. These studies follow a previous reconnaissance of U.S. streams (see side bar). Ground Water Untreated Drinking-Water Sources
What Does All This Mean?Recent advances in laboratory analytical methods have given scientists the tools to detect a wide range of contaminants in the environment at extremely low concentrations. The findings of these reconnaissance studies support other recent scientific studies using low-level detection technologies that document the environmental presence of chemicals not commonly monitored in water resources—chemicals often associated with human and animal wastewaters and biosolids. As detection technologies improve, scientists are likely to find more and a larger variety of these chemicals in ground water, streams, rivers, and drinking-water sources in the future. It is important to note that detection at a low concentration does not necessarily signal a health concern, and that some of the chemicals detected in these reconnaissance studies can occur naturally. Data from these surveys will help scientists, regulators, water-resource managers, and health professionals to determine if the concentrations and mixtures of chemicals measured in these waters pose a threat to human or environmental health, and will help with the development of mitigating strategies where needed. ReferencesBarnes, K.K., Kolpin, D.W., Furlong, E.T., Zaugg, S.D., Meyer, M.T., and Barber, L.B., 2008, A national reconnaissance of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants in the United States--I. Groundwater: Science of the Total Environment, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.04.028. Focazio, M.J., Kolpin, D.W., Barnes, K.K., Furlong, E.T., Meyer, M.T., Zaugg, S.D., Barber, L.B., and Thurman, E.M., 2008, A national reconnaissance for pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants in the United States--II. Untreated drinking water sources: Science of the Total Environment, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.02.021. Barnes, K.K., Kolpin, D.W., Focazio, M.J., Furlong, E.T., Meyer, M.T., Zaugg, S.D., Haack, S.K., Barber, L.B., and Thurman, E.M., IN PRESS, Water-quality data for pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants in ground water and in untreated drinking water sources in the United States, 2000-2001: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report. More Information
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