EAPSI: Determining emerging contaminants in stormwater from established and newly established communities in New Zealand

Lane Rachael F, Lawrence KS

Investigators

Abstract

Environmental contaminants occur on a global level and countries all around the world are facing similar regulatory questions. Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) are chemicals that come from common everyday items (i.e. personal care products or pharmaceuticals) and have recently been detected in the environment. This is of particular concern because EOCs can be harmful to humans and aquatic ecosystems, creating a need for EOC identification in stormwater. This project will determine EOC concentrations in stormwater and explore potential differences between established and newly established communities of Christchurch, New Zealand. Collaboration with Dr. Sally Gaw at the University of Canterbury will provide the instrumentation to identify and quantify EOCs. This study will benefit both the United States and New Zealand by advancing knowledge about EOCs in stormwater and helping to guide environmental regulatory concerns in both countries. Elucidation of EOCs in stormwater will aid in developing regulations that can protect the health of humans and aquatic ecosystems. Although nutrient load and metal contamination have been researched extensively, there is a need to identify EOCs in stormwater. Stormwater has a variable composition influenced by factors such as rainfall volume, catchment characteristics, and drainage infrastructure (buildings, etc). Due to large scale reconstruction from earthquake damage, Christchurch, New Zealand provides a unique opportunity to sample stormwater from both established and newly established communities. Newly established communities are those constructed after the 2010-2011 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence. The focus of this research will be EOCs listed as chemicals of concern by the Auckland Regional Council which includes chemicals associated with phenolic resins, plasticizers, UV-filters, antimicrobial agents, preservatives, and pharmaceuticals. Stormwater samples will be analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and any necessary sample preparation or preconcentration will be performed by solid phase extraction or liquid extraction. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Royal Society of New Zealand.