Occurrences and biological effects of emerging and legacy contaminants in the marine recipient of a wastewater discharge – the SANOCEAN project
Chris Espeland1, Giovanna Monticelli1, Susanne Bøe1, Julie Vastveit1, Mihailo Obradovic1, Mariane Brustugun1, Mohammad Irfan1, Emily Lyng2, Christo Rautenbach3, Daniel Schlenk4, Leslie Petrik5, Daniela Maria Pampanin1 and Magne Sydnes1, (1)University of Stavanger, Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering, Stavanger, Norway, (2)Norce - Norwegian Research Centre, Stavanger, Norway, (3)University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch, South Africa, (4)University of California Riverside, Department of Environmental Sciences, Riverside, CA, United States, (5)University of the Western Cape, Department of Chemistry, Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract:
Marine sewage outfalls are major contributors of complex mixtures of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), emerging contaminants (ECs) of concern and legacy contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, that represent important ecological challenges in aquatic environments. Most traditional wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove these compounds, which are increasingly used in urban areas. Our recent research has shown that complex mixtures of PPCPs and ECs originating from urban runoffs and marine sewage outfalls located around the Western Cape peninsula in South Africa are present in water bodies, and has also accumulated in sediments and biota. In this project, we evaluate the environmental impact of marine sewage outfalls around the Western Cape peninsula. In addition, the ecological state of the coastal area in Cape Town subjected to the marine sewage outfall is compared to the one in Stavanger (Norway).
After modelling the wastewater discharge plume, the environmental impact of the discharge was evaluated by integrating chemical and biological marker analyses of water, sediment and biota samples collected in the proximity of the discharge point (marine stations) and in surrounding coastal areas (beach stations). The presence of PPCPs (Paracetamol, atorvastatin, sulfamethoxazole, ethinylestradiol, diclofenac, caffeine), ECs (perfluorinated compounds, Triclosan, bisphenol A) and legacy compounds (PCB7, PAHs, alkyl phenols) were analysed. The sediment toxicity was evaluated using fish cell line based assays. Biological markers at all levels of biological organisation were carried out in fish, mussels and periwinkles. The next step in the SANOCEAN project is to evaluate the environmental condition of the coastal region around the Western Cape peninsula and compare the environmental conditions of the coastal regions around Stavanger and Western Cape.
