Quantifying the Fate and

Transport of EDCs and PPCPs In

Ecosystems
An International Collaboration of Multidisciplinary Research
under
the U21 Water Future Network

Winston Lung a Progress Report

Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering
University of Virginia
Focus of Research
• To Date, Lab Measuring Techniques Already Widely
Studied
• Removal of EDCs and PPCPs also a Popular Research
Topic
• However, Few Quantitative Studies on their Fate and
Transport Once They Are Released to Receiving
Waters
• Yet, Health Risk on Water Supply and Aquatic Impact
are Great Concern
• Focus on Quantifying the Fate and Transport of These
Chemicals in Selected Ecosystems
 A Historic Perspective:
Contaminant Levels in Receiving Waters
Sediment

10,000 Bacteria
End Point:
1,000 BOD Fecal Coliform
200 cfu/100 mL
100

10 Nutrient End Point:

1960’s s DO 5 mg/L
1 mg/L
Chl a
Persistent
100 Metals Organic End Point:
Pollutants Chl a 30 μg/L
10
1970’
s
noi t art nec no C

1 μg/L
EDCs
100
1980’s PPCPs

10

1 ng/L
2000’s
0.1
Quantifying Processes in
Ecosystems
• Mass Transport in Rivers, Lakes, Reservoirs,
Estuaries, Coastal Bays, and Wetlands
- Advection and Dispersion
- Settling of Sorbed Particles
• Physical-Chemical Process
- Adsorption
• Chemical Processes
- Photodegradation
- Biotransformation
• Biochemical Processes
- Biodegradation
• Biological Processes
- Microbial Uptake of Aquatic Species
Technical Challenges
• Loading Rate Estimates
- Point Sources
- Nonpoint Sources
• Research on Water Column
Kinetics
- Photodegradation
- Biotransformation
- Adsorption
• Quantifying Sediment-Water
Interactions
• Field Studies of Aquatic Impacts
•Data Support is Essential
 Research and Monitoring
to Support Modeling:
• Hydrographical Data of
Ecosystem
• Hydrological Data of Watershed
Source Loading Rate M odeling
•
Estimates of Select Chemicals
• Measured Concentrations in
Receiving Water and
Sediment
• Science to Support
Quantifying Key Attenuation
Processes in Ambient Waters
R esearch M onitoring
Currently Available
Code
Public Domain Models:
• HSPF (Watershed Model)
• Receiving Water Models
– VisJet (Mixing Zone)
– EFDC (Ambient Water)
– CE-QUAL-W2 (Reservoirs and
Estuaries)
– WASP
Model Sophistication
• Level I
- Single Chemical Species
- Simple 1st -Order Kinetics
• Level II
- Single Surrogate
- End Point Contaminant or Toxicity
• Level III - Multiple Species
- Species Succession
- Combined Impacts
• Level IV – Built-in Kinetics
- Independent Derivation of Process Rates
• Level V – Impact on Fish
- Fish Feminization
 Workshop Participants
• Graham Steed,
Steed, WFSC Program Manager

• Winston Lung, University of Virginia Overview and Focus of Proposed Research

• Joseph H.W. Lee, University of Hong Kong A New Approach to Determination of Mixing Zones

• John Mamrick, Tetra Tech, Inc. Modeling Contaminant Transport and Fate in Surface Water Systems
•
• Michael Rivett, University of Birmingham Assessing the Role of the Riverbed – Hyporheic Zone in
• Controlling EDC Fate and Transport
• Andrew Hewitt, CART, New Zealand Pesticide Transport and Deposition in Aquatic Environments from Spray and
Vapor Drift
• Naresh Singhal, University of Auckland Sources, Transport Pathways, and Fate of Estrogenic EDCs in the Environment
•
• How Yong Ng, National University of Singapore Biodegradation and Sorption of EDCs by Sludge

• Kenneth M.Y. Leung, University of Hong Kong The Potential Use of Biomonitoring Data for Revealing the Fate
and Ecological Risks of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
•
• F. Michael Saunders, National University of Singapore Fate of Wastewater Persistent Organics in Water Column and Role of
Aquatic Plant Processes
Angela Y.C. Lin, National Taiwan University Quantifying Photodegradation of Antibiotics in Rivers (presented
(presented by W LUNG)
•
• Ji-Dong Gu, University of Hong Kong Degradation of Phthalate Esters by Bacteria of Sediments and Ocean

• X.Y. Li, University of Hong Kong Adsorption Behavior of Benzyl Butyl Phthalate on Marine Sediments
•
• Van Ngyuen, McGill University Statistical Downscalling of Precipitation and Temperature Extremes for Climate
Related Impact and Adaptation Studies
• Lisa Colosi, University of Virginia Evaluating Toxicity of Multiple-Contaminant Mixtures at Environmentally
Relevant Concentrations
• Winston Lung, University of Virginia Proposed Modeling Framework to Track the Fate and Transport of EDCs and
PPCPs in Ecosystems

•
• Other Participants: James Smith, University of Virginia and Richard Davis, Attorney at Law, Beveridge and Diamond
Workshop Outcome and Action
Items

Phase I
- a Position Paper used a tool to solicit
funding
Phase II
- a Medium Project (National
Application)
Phase II
- Initial Pilot Study ($20K)
- a Mega Project ($5-$10M 3-Year)
Tentative Outline of Position
Paper
• Background and Rationale
- Aquatic Impact (Fish Feminization & Drinking Water Supply)
- Why EDCs and Pharmaceuticals?
• Regulatory Issues
- in Different Countries and Regions
- Legal Policy
• Target Compounds
- Estrogens & Antibiotics
- Nonylphenol
- Bisphenol-A (BPA)
• Observed Levels and Effects
- Exposures and combined impact
• U21 Expertise on EDCs & PPCPs
-
Potential Study Sites
Moores Creek, Charlottesville, VA
- Mixing Zone and Ambient Water Impact
The Tame River in Birmingham, UK
- Ambient Impact on an Urban River
A Coastal Embayment in Hong Kong
- Aquatic Impact on Fish Farms
A Site in Singapore or New Zealand
- A Freshwater Reservoir System
UVa Ongoing Collaboration with NTU: Modeling
Attenuation of Antibiotics in Dahan and Sindian
Rivers in Taiwan
Target Compounds: Acetaminophen, Erythromycin and Gemfibrozil

Danshuei River
Banciao -
Jiangzicui

H
H 2
5
Dahan
P1
River

Sindian River
Results of Simple Mixing Zone Model
with Attenuation of EDCs: 0.5 day-1
The Patuxent Estuary
and
Monitoring Stations
F
ig.1
70

60

50

FlowRate, m/s
3
40

30

20

10

0
200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
JulianD ay
Attenuation of Antibiotics
in The Patuxent Estuary:
Model Results
10
KDC=0

J ulian Day: 442

1 J ulian Day: 622
Chem. Conc. (ng/L)

0.1
1
0.1 KDC=0.5
0.01 Julian Day: 442
0.01 0.001 Julian Day: 622

Chem. Conc. (ng/L)

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 0.0001
Segment 1E-05
1E-06
1E-07
1E-08
1E-09
1E-10
1E-11
0 50 100 150 200
Segment