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U.S. Geological Survey

Occurrence of Selected Pharmaceutical and Non-Pharmaceutical Compounds, and Stable Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Ratios in a Riverbank Filtration Study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2002 to 2005, Volume 2

Data Series 141—ONLINE ONLY

By J.R. Vogel, L.B. Barber, E.T. Furlong, T.B. Coplen, I.M. Verstraeten, and M.T. Meyer

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Abstract

This document is the second volume of a data series report that describes the data collected during a study conducted during 2001 through 2005 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Lincoln, at an established riverbank-filtration well field with horizontal collector wells and vertical wells. The data were collected as part of a study designed to help researchers better understand the efficiency of riverbank filtration with respect to endocrine disrupting compounds and to evaluate the use of riverbank filtration as an effective means of drinking-water treatment. This study provides information that will be useful for (1) increased understanding of the processes and factors controlling the transport of endocrine disrupters, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals during riverbank filtration, (2) better understanding of the physical and chemical processes that affect riverbank-filtration efficiency, and (3) managing the water resources of the eastern Platte River Basin. This report presents analytical methods and additional data for pharmaceuticals, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nanometer (nm) wavelength (UV254), specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nonylphenol ethoxycarboxylates (NPECs), and stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios that were not available at the time of publication of Volume 1 in the data series. Data are presented as generalized statistics and in figures showing temporal variations.

 

Sites from which water-quality samples were collected for this study included wastewater sites (a cattle feedlot lagoon, a hog confinement lagoon, and wastewater-treatment plant effluent), surface-water sites (Platte River, Salt Creek, and Loup Power Canal), ground-water sites (one collector well and five vertical wells), and drinking-water sites (raw and finished). Field water-quality properties also were measured in samples from these sites.

 

Pharmaceuticals detected at least once in samples collected from the Platte River included 1,7-dimethylxanthine, acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazapine, and cotinine. Among the ground-water samples, pharmaceutical compounds detected at low concentrations in at least one sample included 1,7-dimethylxanthine, acetaminophen, carbamazapine, and trimethoprim.

 

When analyzing for non-pharmaceutical compounds in samples from the wastewater sites, the wastewater-treatment plant effluent samples had the highest concentrations of each of NTA, EDTA, and NPECs compounds. Surface-water samples from Salt Creek had higher concentrations of EDTA and NPECs than samples from the Platte River. NTA was not detected in any samples from the ground-water sites. EDTA was detected in all samples from all wells. Detectable concentrations of EDTA were also observed in all samples from the raw water and finished water.

Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Environmental Setting

Methods

Sampling Methods

Analytical Methods

Pharmaceutical Compounds

Non-Pharmaceutical Compounds

Stable Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Ratios

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Streamflow and Well Field Pumpage

Field Water-Quality Properties

Pharmaceutical Compounds

Non-Pharmaceutical Compounds

Dissolved Organic Carbon, Ultraviolet Absorbance at 254 nm Wavelength, and Specific Ultraviolet Absorbance

Nitrilotriacetic Acid, Ethylenediaminetetra­acetic Acid, and Nonylphenol Ethoxycarboxylates

Alkylphenol and Other Wastewater Compounds

Hormones

Stable Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Ratios

References

Figures

  1. Map showing location of the riverbank filtration study at a municipal well field along the Platte River in eastern Nebraska.

2-4. Graphs showing:

  1. Comparison of average daily streamflow and historical mean daily streamflow at the Platte River near Ashland gage.
  2. Flow conditions during sampling at the Platte River near Ashland gage, April 2004 to January 2005.
  3. Pumpage in collector well W90-1H during the period of study.

Tables

  1. Sites at which samples were collected for analysis during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2002 to 2005.
  2. Pharmaceuticals, including common names and general uses, analyzed for in water-quality samples.
  3. List of non-pharmaceutical organic compounds analyzed for in water-quality samples by the U.S. Geological Survey National Research Program, Boulder Laboratories during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska.
  4. List of non-pharmaceutical target compounds and ions (presented in order of relative chromatographic elution) used in selected ion monitoring (SIM) gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis.
  5. Monthly pumpage from vertical wells W49-9, W54-10, and W56-5 during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2001 to 2005.
  6. Field properties measured for all samples collected during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2004 to 2005.
  7. Summary statistics of pharmaceuticals in supplementary samples collected during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2004 to 2005.
  8. Pharmaceutical data for samples collected during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2004 to 2005.
  9. Laboratory quality assurance/quality control data for pharmaceutical analyses during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2004 to 2005.
  10. Dissolved organic carbon, ultraviolet light absorbance at 254 nanometers, and specific ultraviolet light absorbance measurements from water-quality samples collected for the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2002 to 2005.
  11. Summary statistics of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and nonylphenolethoxycarboxylates (NPECs) in samples collected during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2002 to 2005.
  12. Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and nonylphenolethoxycarboxylates (NPECs) concentrations from selected water-quality samples collected during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2002 to 2005.
  13. Alkylphenol and other organic compound concentrations in samples collected for the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2002 to 2005.
  14. Summary statistics of hormones in samples collected during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2002 to 2005.
  15. Hormones in samples collected during the riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2002 to 2005.
  16. Stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition for samples collected for the riverbank filtration, Platte River, Nebraska, 2004 to 2005.
Nebraska Water Science Center