Emerging Contaminants

Jenny LightfootSiLC CGeolGeoenvironmental Specialist07880 7871930114 2728247

jenny.lightfoot@arup.com

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• Types and sources of contaminants• Regulatory drivers • US brownfield experience• UK soil/groundwater context

Emerging Contaminants: Outline

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• Potentially toxic substances (to aquatic ecology and humans)• Newly developed • Or newly identified in the environment

Emerging Contaminants: Definition

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- USEPA- USGS- NICOLE- CONCAWE- WHO- DWI- BGS

Emerging Contaminants: Studies and sources

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Group Contaminant

Industrial chemicals 1,4 dioxane, bisphenol A, phthalates

Pesticides Metaldehyde

Surfactants and flame retardants

PFCs (inc PFOS and PFOA), PBDEs/PBBs

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Group Contaminant

Pharmaceuticals (medical, veterinary, illegal)

Ibuprofen, diclofenac, cocaine, carbamazepine

Lifestyle Nicotine, caffeine

Personal care UV filters, parabens, DEET, triclosan

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• Sewage effluent• Sludge application to soil• Industrial wastewater and spills• Pesticide application• Landfill

Groundwater contamination sources

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• Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)• Groundwater Directive (2006/118/EC)

- Hazardous Substances: toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative• Directive on Env Quality Standards (2008/105/EC, amended 2013/39) (aka Priority Substances Directive)

Emerging Contaminants: Env regulation

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USEPA contaminated federal facilities (FFRRO) • 1,4 dioxane• perchlorate• polybrominated diphenyl ethers and biphenyls (PBDE/PBBs) • 1,2,3-tricloropropane (TCP)• Tungsten• Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs)• Nanomaterials

Emerging contaminants: US brownfield

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e.g. perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanaote (PFOA) • Used for repellent and surfactant properties – in firefighting

foams (AFFF), non-stick metal coatings, textiles• Impaired immune, liver and thyroid function• Environmentally persistent• High solubility, not volatile, variable partitioning behaviour• Transformation for precursors• Lab method LC-QQQ

Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs/PFAS)

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Nanomaterials

Diverse class of materials with structural components <1um in at least one dimensionNatural, engineered and incidentalNanosilver, metal oxides, nZVI, carbon-based, also particle coatingsUnusual properties – photovoltaics, UV blockers (TiO2, ZnO), drug delivery, biomedical apps, remediationOngoing research into env and health risk

http://www.nanorem.eu/

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• Fracturing fluid – polyacrylamide • Drilling fluids – permit application• Hazardous subs/non-haz pollutants

Shale gas and onshore hydrocarbons

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• Site history• Investigation scope• Analytical methods• Future risk drivers

UK brownfield context

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• Ecotoxicology • Environmental fate and transport • EQS and hazardous substance definition• Analytical methods and LOD

What we find in the environment often depends on what we look for and how hard we look

Emerging Contaminants: Challenges