# STATEMENT OF

DR. MATTHEW C. LARSEN

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR WATER

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

### U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BEFORE THE

## COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

September 18, 2008

Madam Chairwoman and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to provide the views of the U.S. Geological Survey,
Department of the Interior, on emerging contaminants in the environment.
The observed presence of emerging contaminants in the environment has
prompted public interest regarding potential adverse ecological effects
and potential contamination of drinking water. The interest has already
increased public awareness of the ways we handle and dispose of
chemicals we use every day to improve our health and quality of life and
has resulted in interest by industries in improved waste treatment
technologies and best management practices that are most effective at
removing these trace organic chemicals from surface and ground waters
and solid and liquid wastes.

The USGS studies a wide range of chemicals often referred to as emerging
contaminants. These chemicals of emerging environmental concern include
many chemicals used in our homes, businesses, and industries, such as
human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, detergents, fragrances, fire
retardants, disinfectants, plastics, and insect repellants. The
chemicals currently of greatest interest include those that enter the
environment via human and animal wastes. Many of these chemicals are a
new focus for environmental research, because they are used in
relatively small quantities and, therefore, were not expected to be of
significant environmental concern. In recent years, they have been
detected increasingly in the environment at very low levels (less than
one part per billion). Despite these extremely low levels, investigation
is warranted to determine if there are any potential adverse
environmental and human health effects. The fact that we are looking for
these chemicals or even detecting them in the environment alone does not
indicate that they are an environmental health concern. Although
detection is an important component of the environmental assessment,
ecological and human health assessments of the levels and mixtures
observed in the environment are also essential.

To date, research and monitoring by the USGS and others have
demonstrated that:

\(1\) the manner in which we handle and dispose of our wastes can
concentrate these chemicals in some environmental settings to levels
that may be an ecological health concern, and

\(2\) many of these trace organic chemicals associated with human and
animal wastes have been entering the environment for as long as we have
used them.

In 1998, the USGS broadened its water-quality science programs by
initiating research on pharmaceuticals and other human- and animal-waste
related chemicals. We were spurred by the findings of European
colleagues, who, looking for a pesticide, detected a heart medication in
the North Sea (Buser et al., 1998). The realization that chemical-use
and waste-handling practices had resulted in detectable concentrations
of a drug in such a large water body suggested the need for further
research. By 2002, a USGS study (Kolpin et al., 2002; Barnes et al.,
2002; and Buxton and Kolpin, 2002) had documented the presence of
pharmaceuticals and other waste-associated chemicals in the Nation's
streams and largely defined this issue in the United States.

Since 2002, the USGS has published more than 160 reports that:

-   Document the occurrence, concentration, and mixtures of these
    chemicals in various environmental compartments, including stream
    water, well water, stream sediment, and soil amended with manure and
    biosolids (the solid byproduct of wastewater treatment plants);

-   Demonstrate the comparative contributions from various sources,
    including wastewater treatment plants, livestock production and
    animal feedlot wastes, aquaculture, onsite septic systems, combined
    sewer overflows, and other industrial discharges; and

-   Demonstrate that some of these chemicals are assimilated by
    organisms (Kinney et al., 2008) or cause adverse ecological health
    effects (Vajda et al., 2008).

The bibliography of USGS reports that support these findings on emerging
contaminants is available on the Internet at:
[*http://toxics.usgs.gov/bib/bib-Emerging.html*](http://toxics.usgs.gov/bib/bib-Emerging.html).

A recent example of USGS research is described in a series of reports on
the levels and mixtures of human- and animal-waste related chemicals
that are found in wastewaters, biosolids, and manures, and the soils to
which they are applied for fertilization, as well as the earthworms
found in those soils (Kinney et al., 2006a, 2006b, and 2008).

USGS investigations at a drinking water treatment facility in New Jersey
described the changes in concentrations of emerging contaminants from
the source water through multiple stages of the treatment process
(Stackelberg et al., 2004, 2007). Additional investigations like this
one will inform decisions on improving existing and developing new
treatment works that are more efficient at removing these chemicals from
source waters (the sources of drinking water).

Two USGS papers, published recently in the peer-reviewed journal
*Science of the Total Environment,* summarize the occurrence of these
chemicals in ground water (Barnes et al., 2008) and in raw (untreated)
sources (streams and wells) of drinking water (Focazio et al., 2008).
The paper surveying source waters includes results from 74 sites near
drinking water intakes in 25 states and Puerto Rico. All data from these
reports are available to the public in an accompanying data report.

The ecological effects of some emerging contaminants found in the
environment have been documented in scientific literature For example,
it was not a surprise when antibiotics, which are designed to act as
antibacterials, were found to have adverse effects on soil
microorganisms at concentrations found in the environment (Thiele-Bruhn
and Beck, 2005). Some toxicological tests have found no effects on some
species tested. In one study, three freshwater invertebrates were
exposed to an anticonvulsant drug commonly found in the environment.
Only one of the three species demonstrated an adverse effect (Oetken et
al., 2005). Furthermore, evidence suggests that chemical mixtures can
act collectively to cause adverse effects, even when each component is
below its individual effect level (Brian et al., 2007). These are
examples of an increasing body of scientific knowledge on potential
adverse health effects. Significant uncertainty remains regarding the
effects of long-term exposure to levels found in environmental settings.

Endocrine disruption is one adverse health effect of concern because it
may occur as a result of exposure to very low levels of hormonally
active chemicals. One form of endocrine disruption observed in
environmental settings affects fish reproductive systems, where fish
have been found to be "feminized" by exposure to a range of chemicals
that act similarly to the natural hormone estrogen. Some ways in which
feminization is observed in fish include: (1) a higher percentage of
females in some fish populations than commonly expected,, (2) changes in
behavioral characteristics, such as nesting behavior, or (3) the
presence of male fish with female characteristics, such as the presence
of female egg cells in testes or of a female egg protein in their blood.
A recent study (Kidd et al., 2007) demonstrated that the addition of
ethinylestradiol (one of the active ingredients in birth control pills)
at observed environmental concentrations to an experimental lake in
Canada caused feminization and near extinction of fathead minnows in the
lake.

A wide range of hormonally active chemicals can contribute to endocrine
disruption, including actual biogenic hormones, synthetic hormones
(pharmaceuticals, such as ethinylestradiol), and other chemicals that
mimic or block hormone function (including certain pesticides,
detergents, metals, and other industrial chemicals). These chemicals
have been found together in waters affected by human and animal wastes
and can occur together in various environmental settings. This
reinforces why these chemicals must be studied together and not as
separate classes of contaminants.

The effects of long-term exposure to the low levels of emerging
contaminants found in the environment on human health are not well
understood and warrant continued study. The USGS has collected
information on the occurrence, concentrations, and mixtures of these
waste-related chemicals in source waters used for drinking water and, to
a much more limited extent, in finished (treated) drinking water.
However, whether or not there are adverse human health effects from
cumulative lifetime exposures to the low concentrations and complex
mixtures of emerging contaminants found in the environment remains a
research priority, particularly the effects on sensitive subpopulations
such as children, women of child-bearing years, the elderly, and people
with suppressed immune systems.

In the past decade, the USGS has developed the capability to analyze for
approximately 200 emerging contaminants at levels less than one part per
billion in environmental samples. These chemicals include
pharmaceuticals, personal care products, detergent byproducts,
detergents, hormones, fragrances, fire retardants, disinfectants,
plastics, and insect repellants. The vast majority of these chemicals
are synthetic and indicate human sources. Some are naturally occurring,
and the levels at which they are detected can help distinguish between
human and natural sources. We have collected and analyzed samples from
approximately 1,500 sites across the Nation. About a quarter of these
sites were sampled in nationally-designed targeted surveys implemented
by the USGS to assess the occurrence of emerging contaminants across a
wide range of environmental settings. The majority of the 1,500 sites
were sampled as parts of studies conducted by the USGS in cooperation
with State and local governments. These cooperative studies were
designed to provide information for local resource managers on
conditions in their area, and the findings are available to the public.

California provides an example of an extensive State program. The USGS
California Water Science Center, in collaboration with the California
Water Boards, has designed and implemented the Groundwater Ambient
Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Project to assess the quality of
California\'s ground water. The Priority Basin Program, a part of GAMA,
will sample approximately 2,500 wells in about 120 ground-water basins
in California over an 8-year period (2004-2012). From May 2004 through
December 2007, we have sampled about 1,400 wells for a very large suite
of emerging contaminants. About 1,000 wells are being evaluated for the
presence of emerging contaminants.

The USGS is continuing to conduct research on emerging contaminants in
the environment. Our research priorities will continue to include
assessing:

-   Chemical loads of various sources including wastewater treatment
    plants, Animal Feeding Operations, landfills, and other industrial
    facilities,

-   Ecological effects, including fish endocrine disruption in streams
    enriched with wastewaters,

-   The occurrence of emerging contaminants in waters that are the
    source of drinking water and, to a limited degree, in treated
    drinking water, and

-   The comparative performance of varying water and waste treatment
    processes to remove emerging contaminants,

The USGS conducts this research with a number of partner Federal
agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA),
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fish and Wildlife Service,
and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The USGS, USEPA,
and FDA co-chair the Federal Interagency Work Group on Pharmaceuticals
in the Environment, and the USGS participates in the Endocrine
Disruption Work Group, both under the auspices of the Committee on
Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology
Council. These Work Groups have further increased coordination of
Federal research.

Thousands of potential emerging contaminants are used in our homes and
places of work to improve our health and quality of life, The USGS is
focusing environmental research on chemicals that are more likely to be
of environmental concern, to increase the efficiency of research within
the existing limited resources available. Similarly, investigations of
adverse health effects must consider the actual levels and mixtures of
chemicals that organisms are exposed to in the environment. Results of
USGS studies of environmental occurrence are used by many scientists to
guide both human and ecological health-effects studies to assure that
actual environmental conditions are being tested.

We welcome the opportunity to provide any further information or
assistance to the Subcommittee. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, for the
opportunity to present this testimony, and I will be pleased to answer
questions you and other Members might have.

**REFERENCES:**

Barnes KK, Kolpin DW, Meyer MT, Thurman EM, Furlong ET, Zaugg SD, and
Barber, LB, 2002, Water-quality data for pharmaceuticals, hormones, and
other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999-2000: U.S.
Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-94.
<http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/OFR-02-94/>

Barnes KK, Kolpin DW, Furlong ET, Zaugg SD, Meyer MT, Barber LB, 2008, A
national reconnaissance for pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater
contaminants in the United States: I) Ground water. *Science of the
Total Environment*, v.402, 192-200.

Brian JV, Harris CA, Scholze M, Kortenkamp A, Booy P, Lamoree M, Pojana
G, Jonkers N, Marcomini A, and Sumpter JP, 2007, Evidence of estrogenic
mixture effects on the reproductive performance of fish. *Environmental
Science and Technology,* *41*(1), 337-344.

Buser HR, Muller MD, Theobald N, 1998, Occurrence of the pharmaceutical
drug clofibric acid and the herbicide mecoprop in various Swiss lakes
and in the North Sea. *Environmental Science & Technology*, 32, 188-192.

Buxton HT, and Kolpin DW, 2002, Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other
organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams: U.S. Geological Survey
Fact Sheet FS-027-02, 2 p. <http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/FS-027-02/>

Focazio MJ, Kolpin DW, Barnes KK, Furlong ET, Meyer, MT, Zaugg, SD,
Barber, LB, Thurman, EM, 2008, A national reconnaissance for
pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants in the United
States: II) Untreated drinking water sources. *Science of the Total
Environment*, v.402, 201-216.

Kidd KA, Blanchfield PJ, Mill KH, Palace VP, Evans RE, Lazorchak JM,
Flick RW, 2007, Collapse of a fish population after exposure to a
synthetic estrogen. *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*,
*104*, 8897-8901. <http://www.pnas.org/content/104/21/8897.full>

Kinney CA, Furlong ET, Werner SL, Cahill JD, 2006a, Presence and
distribution of wastewater-derived pharmaceuticals in soil irrigated
with reclaimed water. *Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry*, *25*,
317-326.
<http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/esthag/2008/42/i06/abs/es702304c.html>

Kinney CA, Furlong ET, Zaugg SD, Burkhardt MR, Werner SL, Cahill JD,
Jorgensen GR, 2006b, Survey of organic wastewater contaminants in
biosolids destined for land application. *Environmental Science &
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<http://www.setacjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1897%2F05-187R.1>

Kinney CA, Furlong ET, Kolpin, DW, Burkhardt MR, Zaugg SD, Werner SL,
Bossio, JP, and Benotti, MJ, 2008, Bioaccumulation of pharmaceuticals
and other anthropogenic waste indicators in earthworms from agricultural
soil amended with biosolid or swine manure. *Environmental Science and
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<http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/esthag/2006/40/i23/abs/es0603406.html>

Kolpin DW, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, Thurman EM, Zaugg SD, Barber LB, Buxton
HT, 2002, Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater
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*Environmental Science & Technology*, *36*, 1202-1211.
<http://pubs.acs.org/hotartcl/est/es011055j_rev.html>

Oetken M, Nentwig G, Loffler D, Ternes T, Oehlmann J, 2005, Effects of
pharmaceuticals on aquatic invertebrates. Part I. The antiepileptic drug
carbamazepine. *Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology*
*49*, 353-361.

Stackelberg PE, Gibs J, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, Zaugg SD, and Lippincott
RL, 2007, Efficiency of conventional drinking-water-treatment processes
in removal of pharmaceuticals and other organic compounds. *Science of
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<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V78-4NB2SFN-2&_user=696292&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000038819&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=696292&md5=782f1fc5e594b3d0e696dfd62bbf79fd>

Stackelberg PE, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, Zaugg SD, Henderson AK, and
Reissman DB, 2004, Persistence of pharmaceutical compounds and other
organic wastewater contaminants in a conventional
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329, no. 1-3, p. 99-113.

<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V78-4CC30H2-K&_user=696292&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000038819&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=696292&md5=efb0c0e5ad401e84e2a4511c9557f4cc>

Thiele-Bruhn S, and Beck I, 2005, Effects of sulfonamide and
tetracycline antibiotics on soil microbial activity and microbial
biomass. *Chemosphere*, vol. 59, pp. 4457-465.

Vajda, AM, Barber, LB, Gray, JL, Lopez, EM, Woodling, JD, and Norris,
DO, 2008, Reproductive disruption in fish downstream of an estrogenic
wastewater effluent: *Environmental Science & Technology* (published
on-line March 25, 2008)