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  • A National Survey of Trace Organic Contaminants in Australian Rivers

    Author(s)
    Scott, Philip D
    Bartkow, Michael
    Blockwell, Stephen J
    Coleman, Heather M
    Khan, Stuart J
    Lim, Richard
    McDonald, James A
    Nice, Helen
    Nugegoda, Dayanthi
    Pettigrove, Vincent
    Tremblay, Louis A
    Warne, Michael St J
    Leusch, Frederic DL
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Leusch, Frederic
    Scott, Philip
    Bartkow, Michael E.
    Year published
    2014
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Trace organic contaminant (TrOC) studies in Australia have, to date, focused on wastewater effluents, leaving a knowledge gap of their occurrence and risk in freshwater environments. This study measured 42 TrOCs including industrial compounds, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals and personal care products by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry at 73 river sites across Australia quarterly for 1 yr. Trace organic contaminants were found in 92% of samples, with a median of three compounds detected per sample (maximum 18). The five most commonly detected TrOCs were the pharmaceuticals salicylic acid (82%, maximum = 1530 ...
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    Trace organic contaminant (TrOC) studies in Australia have, to date, focused on wastewater effluents, leaving a knowledge gap of their occurrence and risk in freshwater environments. This study measured 42 TrOCs including industrial compounds, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals and personal care products by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry at 73 river sites across Australia quarterly for 1 yr. Trace organic contaminants were found in 92% of samples, with a median of three compounds detected per sample (maximum 18). The five most commonly detected TrOCs were the pharmaceuticals salicylic acid (82%, maximum = 1530 ng/L), paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen; 45%, maximum = 7150 ng/L), and carbamazepine (27%, maximum = 682 ng/L), caffeine (65%, maximum = 3770 ng/L), and the flame retardant tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (44%, maximum = 184 ng/L). Pesticides were detected in 28% of the samples. To determine the risk posed by the detected TrOCs to the aquatic environment, hazard quotients were calculated by dividing the maximum concentration detected for each compound by the predicted no-effect concentrations. Three of the 42 compounds monitored (the pharmaceuticals carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole and the herbicide simazine) had a hazard quotient >1, suggesting that they may be causing adverse effects at the most polluted sites. A further 10 compounds had hazard quotients >0.1, indicating a potential risk; these included four pharmaceuticals, three personal care products, and three pesticides. Most compounds had hazard quotients significantly <0.1. The number of TrOCs measured in this study was limited and further investigations are required to fully assess the risk posed by complex mixtures of TrOCs on exposed biota.
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    Journal Title
    Journal of Environmental Quality
    Volume
    43
    Issue
    5
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2014.01.0012
    Funder(s)
    ARC
    Grant identifier(s)
    LP100100163
    Subject
    Earth sciences
    Environmental sciences
    Environmental assessment and monitoring
    Biological sciences
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/63864
    Collection
    • Journal articles

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