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Contaminants of emerging concern are unregulated substances that have entered the environment through human activities. Current regulatory approaches are inadequate to address these contaminants and the increasing public concern over their environmental and human health implications. A pilot multi-year survey of contaminants of emerging concern in the main stem of the tidal Delaware River sampled and analyzed ambient waters in 2007, 2008 and 2009 for pharmaceuticals and personal care products, as well as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MSMS); hormones, sterols and nonylphenols by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS); and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) by high resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HRGC/MS). Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP) detected at concentrations of ng/L in the river were comparable to compounds and concentrations measured in other studies of ambient water with the exception of codeine and metformin. Fifteen PPCP were identified for focused study in surface waters (acetaminophen, carbamazepine, clarithromycin, codeine, dehydronifedipine, erythromycin-hydrate, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, 2-hydroxy-ibuprofen, ibuprofen, lincomycin, metformin, sulfamethoxazole, thiabendazole, and triclocarban) based on the criteria of environmental occurrence, aquatic ecotoxicity, potential human health effects to sensitive populations, and analytical feasibility. In addition, PPCP reported in fish tissue in other locations should be assessed in the Delaware Estuary. Natural and synthetic hormones were detected in ng/L levels. Hormones detected at low concentrations and at limited locations included estrone, norethindrone, 17-alpha-ethynyl-estradiol, desogestrel and testosterone. Hormones have been ranked in the top of chemicals in U.S. surface waters for ecological effects and warrant further study. PFASs were measured in ng/L concentrations with perfluorononanoate (C9) measured at the highest concentration. Although concentrations of PFASs in water appear to be trending downward each year, additional ecotoxicology and bioaccumulation information is needed for these compounds especially on longer chain and sulfonated PFASs. Nonylphenol levels did not exceed current United States Environmental Protection Agency national water quality criteria. PBDE were measured in pg/L to ng/L concentrations with homolog distributions similar to those observed in other North American locations. Because of the low levels found in water, additional monitoring of PBDE by the DRBC will focus on bioaccumulation in fish tissue. The effects of PPCP in estuarine and coastal waters are not well studied. Future work in the Delaware River should evaluate the sources as well as the fate and effects of PPCP in the water column, sediments and biota.

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The report was revised in August 2013.

doi:10.7282/T3KP842V

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