Skip Links

USGS - science for a changing world

Report Data Series 723

>> Pubs Warehouse > Data Series 723

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Chemicals of Emerging Concern in Water and Bottom Sediment in Great Lakes Areas of Concern, 2010 to 2011—Collection Methods, Analyses Methods, Quality Assurance, and Data

By Kathy E. Lee, Susan K. Langer, Michael A. Menheer, William T. Foreman, Edward T. Furlong, and Steven G. Smith

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (1.48 MB)Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a study to identify the occurrence of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in water and bottom-sediment samples collected during 2010–11 at sites in seven areas of concern (AOCs) throughout the Great Lakes. Study sites include tributaries to the Great Lakes in AOCs located near Duluth, Minn.; Green Bay, Wis.; Roches­ter, N.Y.; Detroit, Mich.; Toledo, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wis.; and Ashtabula, Ohio. This report documents the collection meth­ods, analyses methods, quality-assurance data and analyses, and provides the data for this study.

Water and bottom-sediment samples were analyzed at the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colo., for a broad suite of CECs. During this study, 135 environmental and 23 field dupli­cate samples of surface water and wastewater effluent, 10 field blank water samples, and 11 field spike water samples were collected and analyzed. Sixty-one of the 69 wastewater indicator chemicals (laboratory method 4433) analyzed were detected at concentrations ranging from 0.002 to 11.2 micrograms per liter. Twenty-eight of the 48 pharmaceuticals (research method 8244) analyzed were detected at concentrations ranging from 0.0029 to 22.0 micro­grams per liter. Ten of the 20 steroid hormones and sterols analyzed (research method 4434) were detected at concentrations ranging from 0.16 to 10,000 nanograms per liter.

During this study, 75 environmental, 13 field duplicate samples, and 9 field spike samples of bottom sediment were collected and analyzed for a wide variety of CECs. Forty-seven of the 57 wastewater indicator chemicals (laboratory method 5433) analyzed were detected at concentrations ranging from 0.921 to 25,800 nanograms per gram. Seventeen of the 20 steroid hormones and sterols (research method 6434) analyzed were detected at concentrations ranging from 0.006 to 8,921 nanograms per gram. Twelve of the 20 pharmaceuticals (research method 8244) analyzed were detected at concentrations ranging from 2.35 to 453.5 nanograms per gram. Six of the 11 antidepressants (research method 9008) analyzed were detected at concentrations ranging from 2.79 to 91.6 nanograms per gram.

First posted December 20, 2012

Revised February 3, 2014

For additional information contact:
Director, Minnesota Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2280 Woodale Drive
Mounds View, Minnesota 55112
http://mn.water.usgs.gov/

Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge.

Suggested citation:

Lee, K.E., Langer, S.K., Menheer, M.A., Foreman, W.T., Furlong, E.T., and Smith, S.G., 2012, Chemicals of emerging concern in water and bottom sediment in Great Lakes areas of concern, 2010 to 2011—Collection methods, analyses methods, quality assurance, and data: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 723, 26 p.


Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Study Locations

Sample Collection

Sample Analyses

Quality Assurance

Study Data

Summary

Selected References

Appendixes 1–3