Research Areas > Contaminants > Contaminants of Emerging Concern > Ecosystems Advisory Panel

Project: Advisory Panel for CECs in Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

Background and Objectives

Environmental managers are challenged with addressing contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in the face of limited knowledge about their sources, pervasiveness, and effects. The State of California recently convened a panel of experts to provide recommendations on how current knowledge of CECs should influence their regulatory activities; however, this effort is limited in context and scope to the State’s Recycled Water Policy. Many of the questions to be addressed by the recycled water panel are also relevant to the ambient environment. To leverage that effort, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation has partnered with SCCWRP to support a second panel that will provide the State with recommendations on how to best limit the impact of CECs on our oceans, estuaries and wetlands. This panel will address the following questions:

1. What are the relative contributions of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) discharged into coastal aquatic systems* from wastewater and stormwater?

2. What specific CECs, if any, are most appropriate for monitoring in discharges to coastal aquatic systems and what are the applicable monitoring methods and detection limits?

3. How are these priority constituents affected by the chemistry, biology and physics of treatment in wastewater systems, by discharge into and transport by coastal streams, rivers and estuaries, and as a result of mixing and dilution with receiving coastal and ocean waters?

4. What approaches should be used to assess biological effects of CECs to sentinel species in coastal aquatic systems?

5. What is the appropriate design (e.g. media, frequency, locations) for a CEC monitoring and biological effects assessment program given the current state of the art for monitoring methods, and what level of effects will be detectable with such a monitoring program? How does the sensitivity of the monitoring and assessment program vary with investment?

6. What concentrations of CECs or levels of biological effects should trigger further actions and what options should be considered for further actions?

* Coastal aquatic systems are defined as the territorial marine waters of the State as defined by California law, i.e., those extending up to three miles offshore. This question also refers to releases outside three miles that impact state waters or any ground and surface waters (fresh, brackish, or saline) within state boundaries that are hydraulically connected to the coastal ocean.

Status

This project was initiated in 2009 with anticipated completion in 2011.

Methods

Seven panel members were chosen for their expertise in the following fields: biochemistry, analytical chemistry, civil engineering, coastal/marine resources, epidemiology/risk assessment, ecotoxicology, and human health toxicology. This panel will review the scientific literature regarding CECs in the coastal marine environment, and hold several meetings to discuss how to answer the key questions. The project will also support additional data collection and analysis, to assist the expert panel in filling any data gaps. The knowledge gleaned through this effort will be synthesized into written recommendations for use by the management community.

Calendar

Partners

This project is being conducted in collaboration with the Packard Foundation, the State Water Resources Control Board, and panel members (below), with stakeholder input from a variety of public and private entities.

Panel Members:

• Dr. Paul Anderson - Human Health Toxicologist
• Dr. Geoff Scott - Coastal/Marine Resources
• Dr. Nancy Denslow - Biochemist
• Dr. Jörg Drewes - Civil Engineer
• Dr. Adam Olivieri - Epidemiologist/Risk Assessor
• Dr. Daniel Schlenk - Environmental Toxicologist
• Dr. Shane Snyder - Analytical Chemist

Stakeholder Advisors:

• Chris Crompton (California Stormwater Quality Association)
• Jim Colston (Tri-TAC)
• Mark Gold (Heal the Bay)
• Amber Mace (Ocean Protection Council)
• Rick Moss (State Water Resources Control Board)
• Linda Sheehan (California Coastkeeper Alliance)