Determine Baseline and Sources of Toxic Contaminant Loadings
Dates
Project Start Date
2013
Project End Date
2015
Summary
Description of Work U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is identifying the types and locations of emerging and legacy toxic contaminants in the water and sediments at 59 major tributaries to the Great Lakes (including many Area of Concern sites). This information is needed to help prioritize watersheds for restoration, develop strategies to reduce contaminants, and measure the success of those efforts in meeting restoration goals. The USGS contaminant and virus tributary monitoring network follows the National Monitoring Network for Coastal Waters design. The monitoring effort includes collecting emerging contaminant samples at 17 sites, a subset of the 30 nutrient monitoring sites; and for human viruses and other waterborne pathogen samples [...]
Summary
Description of Work
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is identifying the types and locations of emerging and legacy toxic contaminants in the water and sediments at 59 major tributaries to the Great Lakes (including many Area of Concern sites). This information is needed to help prioritize watersheds for restoration, develop strategies to reduce contaminants, and measure the success of those efforts in meeting restoration goals. The USGS contaminant and virus tributary monitoring network follows the National Monitoring Network for Coastal Waters design. The monitoring effort includes collecting emerging contaminant samples at 17 sites, a subset of the 30 nutrient monitoring sites; and for human viruses and other waterborne pathogen samples at 8 of these 17 sites; using automated, passive, surrogate, and manual sampling. This information will provide baseline information, provide support for measuring restoration progress, and provide potential load change information throughout the Great Lakes. The USGS contaminant and virus tributary monitoring network follows the National Monitoring Network for Coastal Waters design. The monitoring effort includes collecting emerging contaminant samples at 17 sites, a subset of the 30 nutrient monitoring sites (Template 76); and human viruses and other waterborne pathogen samples at 8 of these 17 sites; using automated, passive, surrogate, and manual sampling. This information will provide baseline information, provide support for measuring restoration progress, and provide potential load change information throughout the Great Lakes.
Relevance & Impact
This information is needed by decision makers to help prioritize watersheds for restoration, develop strategies to reduce contaminants, and measure the success of those efforts in meeting restoration goals.
Key Findings
Preliminary results indicate substantial human waste presence in all streams, but results have shown considerably higher concentrations of human-specific bacteria and human pathogens in five of the eight streams.
Direct questions and requests to the Principle Investigator.
Purpose
Monitoring of contaminants of emerging concern (PPCP - pharmaceuticals and personal care products) will help determine if programs to collect unwanted medicines are successful in decreasing the amount of these chemicals reaching the Great Lakes, and to provide baseline information for tracking potential future toxic contaminant threats. The virus sampling will provide a baseline for human and bovine viruses in tributaries and their potential impacts on human health. Information on the occurrence and distribution of contaminants is needed to provide baseline information, measure progress towards restoration goals, and to assess new threats. Additional information is needed to provide an understanding of how contaminants reach the Great Lakes, and where they come from, so that the effects of future actions can be assessed and predicted
