CICEET Progress Report for the period 3/01/09 Through 8/31/09
Project Title: Using passive samplers to detect emerging contaminants and predict their bioavailability to benthic organisms
Principal Investigator(s): Dr. Rainer Lohmann
Project Start Date: September 1, 2007
Report Compiled By: Rainer Lohmann, Victoria Sacks and Jay Harding
Contributing team members and their role in the project:
Rainer Lohmann, PI – supervision of overall project; Victoria Sacks, graduate student – PE sampler preparation, deployment and analysis; Jay Harding, outreach facilitator, organization of outreach meetings and materials; Kristin van Wagner, Jennifer West (NERRS) – outreach planners; Kenny Raposa, NERRS research coordinator – PE sampler deployment; Narragansett Bay Commission – PE-sampler deployment; Robert Burgess (U.S. EPA) - enduser
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Technical objectives
i) Determine PE-water partitioning constants as a function of temperature, salinity and pH – on-going work throughout the reporting period.
Preliminary PE-water partitioning constants were derived for alkylphenols and triclosan. A GC-MS/MS method for PBDEs was established.
Log KPE-w values for alkylphenols and triclosan were around 2.5 – 2.9 at 25 C, lower than expected.
Based on a critical literature review, we expect log KPE-w for alkylphenols to be around 4.0 for octylphenol and around 4.5 for nonylphenol (Abraham et al, 1994). We used calculated Abraham descriptors to predict partitioning values between hexadecane and water (Abraham et al., 1998). These should mimic KPE-w values, which would result in log KPE-w values of 3.2 – 3.9 for alkylphenols, 1.8 for triclosan, 4.1 for methyl-triclosan and ranging from 3.3 – 9.5 for PBDEs. We will verify the actual partitioning data with further experiments (see below).
ii) reproducibly load PE-samplers with performance reference compounds (PRCs) for alkylphenols, triclosan and PDBEs.
This was achieved – For alkylphenols, the PRCs used are two deuterated compounds, for PBDEs we use a di-, tetra- and penta-brominated biphenyl.
iii) Deploy PE samplers in the water column of selected locations in Narragansett Bay (near SWTPs, our reference NERRS site, Prudence Island)
Deployments at Prudence Island (operated by NERRS) and near a WWTP (operated by the NBC) have begun. In addition, volunteers will be deploying across Narragansett Bay (NB) to gain a snap-shot of spatial trends, and potential sources, across NB and its tributaries (see Figure 1).
iv) Compare the results from PEs to those obtained using POCIS
POCIS are being ordered right now, in-time for a deployment starting September, 16, 2009 to enable a comparison with PE-based sampling results.
v) Collect sediment and biota and incubate with PE-samplers in the laboratory
The collection will take place in the fall, we are aiming for sampling in September at 3 locations, and place samples in the freezer for later use.
vi) Derive water column and porewater concentrations of emerging contaminants in Narragansett Bay
This will take place once sediments and biota have been collected. We have preliminary data from PE samplers that were deployed in July at Conimicut Point. PBDEs 47, 49, 99 and 100 were detected in the surface waters, with fewer congeners present in the sediments’ porewater. This would suggest that PBDEs are primarily resulting from on-going releases to the watershed, with the sediments acting as a sink.
Non-technical objectives
i) Will convene quarterly meeting w/ end user
ii) Will finalize workshop planning/agenda
iii) Will invite workshop attendees
iv) Will photo document field work to provide imagery for presentations/manual
v) Will convene August workshop
vi) Will conduct evaluation of workshop (surveying of attendees)
vii) Will convene final quarterly meeting w/ end user and NBNERR partners to plan for 2010 outreach/dissemination activity.
viii) Poster presentation at SETAC Europe meeting (Gothenburg in June’09) on the use of PE samplers to detect emerging contaminants in water/porewater.
All of these objectives were met during the reporting period.
Please describe knowledge dissemination activities during this reporting period.
Brainstormed potential workshop agenda
Outlined One-Page Fact Sheet and Workshop Announcement
Discussed Attendee List and contact plan
Outlined presentation
Discussed materials, supplies, logistics
Scheduled subsequent planning meetings
Validated draft workshop agenda
Finalized outline for One-Page Fact Sheet and Workshop Announcement
Discussed action plan for effective dissemination of workshop announcement
Further outlined presentation
Further discussed materials, supplies, logistics
Scheduled subsequent planning meetings
Finalized Fact Sheet, Presentation, and handout materials
Finalized arrangements for materials, supplies, logistics, food
Discussed primary RSVP list – sent out secondary (reminder) workshop announcement
54 Attendees, yielding 39 sampling volunteers
Background presentation of project, contaminants, methodology
Training of 39 volunteers in deploying samplers
Dissemination of 55 One-Page Fact Sheets
Dissemination of sampling materials
8 attendees from NBC
Briefing on project background and deployment by NBC
C. Have the results/data gathered during this reporting period indicated that a change to your original approach is necessary?
No.
D. Please describe collaboration activities with target stakeholders during this period. Has interaction with stakeholders during this period brought about any changes to the project? Have the stakeholders confirmed the relevance of the technology or approach you are working on?
The Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) became interested in our project and agreed to deploy samplers for us. In addition, the NBC is considering making use of PE samplers for their internal use, and we agreed that an analytical chemist from NBC will come to URI-GSO for some basic training of the samplers, their analysis and interpretation.
Ernie Panciera (RI DEM) has requested our outreach materials for distribution to the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), which he is a member.
These activities are directly supportive of research efforts at the U.S. EPA Atlantic Ecology Division in Narragansett, Rhode Island. This research is focused on two areas: (1) determining the aquatic toxicity of several emerging contaminants (including triclosan) and (2) characterizing the environmental long-term fate of triclosan and PBDEs in estuarine sediments around the United States. For example, results of the PE sampler work will provide valuable information about the concentrations of emerging contaminants in Narragansett Bay waters which can be compared to the U.S. EPA toxicity dataset.
Please describe technical and non-technical objectives for the next reporting period and outline your work plan to meet identified objectives.
i) Determine PE-water partitioning constants as a function of temperature, salinity and pH – on-going work throughout the reporting period.
This will be the primary focus of the fall and winter laboratory work in controlled laboratory exposures (20 °C / 0 psu salinity, 20 °C / 35 psu, 5 °C / 0 psu, and 5 °C / 35 psu).
ii) Deploy PE samplers in the water column of selected locations in Narragansett Bay (near WWTPs, our reference NERRS site, Prudence Island)
This will be on-going throughout fall and winter; the deployments will be performed by NERRS and the NBS at two sites, and by Victoria Sacks and volunteers across the Bay.
iii) Compare the results from PEs to those obtained using POCIS
Co-deployments of POCIS and PEs will take place during September at both of our sites, with samplers being analyzed in the winter.
iv) Collect sediment and incubate with PE-samplers in the laboratory
(opportunistic biota collection during the sediment collection)
The collection will take place during the fall.
v) Non-technical objectives
These include the collaboration with NBC in training one of their chemists in the use, analysis and interpretation of passive samplers. Further, we will start outlining the content of the legacy 8-page manual and the target audience of the 2nd passive sampler workshop to be conducted in the summer of 2010. Lastly, we will brief our various target stakeholders (EPA, NBC, RI DEM and volunteers) about progress with our research project.
Please describe any activities, accomplishments, or obstacles not addressed in other sections of this report that you feel are important for CICEET to know about.
Sadly, we will have a change in personnel, as Jay Harding, our outreach facilitator will leave URI by the end of September 2009. We work with the Director of GSO’s Office of Marine Program, Sara Hickox, to find a suitable replacement to guarantee a smooth transition in-time for the major outreach efforts at the end of the project year 2 (8-page manual, and outreach workshop).