Presence of Pharmaceutical Compounds in Water, North Central New Mexico
Tuesday, February 27, 2018: 9:50 a.m.
Patrick Longmire, Ph.D.
,
New Mexico Environment Department, Ground Water Quality Bureau, Santa Fe, NM
David Fellenz
,
New Mexico Environment Department, DOE Oversight Bureau, Los Alamos, NM
Kim Granzow
,
New Mexico Environment Department, DOE Oversight Bureau, Los Alamos, NM
Michael R. Dale
,
New Mexico Environment Department, Hazardous Waste Bureau, Los Alamos, NM
Megan Green
,
New Mexico Environment Department, DOE Oversight Bureau, Los Alamos, NM
Stephen M. Yanicak
,
New Mexico Environment Department, DOE Oversight Bureau, Los Alamos, NM
Endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDC) and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCP) are contaminants of significant concern found in aquatic environments worldwide. Numerous hydrophilic EDC and PPCP have been measured in treated and non-treated wastewater, surface water, and groundwater throughout the United States and Europe during the past several decades. Since the mid-1940s, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Los Alamos County, New Mexico have released treated wastewater to three major watersheds that provide recharge to the regional aquifer beneath the Pajarito Plateau. Santa Fe and Española also discharge treated wastewater to the Santa Fe River and Rio Grande, respectively. Over 105 sampling stations located across the Pajarito Plateau and along the Rio Grande and Santa Fe River are routinely analyzed for 32 PPCP using EPA method 1694. Analytical results show variable types and concentrations of PPCP present at most sampling locations. These water-soluble chemicals undergo limited adsorption/partitioning onto mineral surfaces and solid organic matter and typically migrate in groundwater without any retardation. Commonly detected PPCP present in treated wastewater include acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, DEET, diazepam, diclofenac, dilantin, fluorextine, gemfibrozil, hydrocodone, meprobamate, methadone, salicylic acid, and sulfamethoxazole. Acetaminophen, caffeine, and sulfamethoxazole are detected at the highest frequency in groundwater and surface water downstream from discharge sources. Several of the LANL monitoring wells containing PPCP also have contaminants associated with industrial-derived effluents such as chromate, sulfate, chloride, and nitrate. This contaminant relationship shows the presence of similar groundwater-flow paths in the vadose zone (305 meters thick) and regional aquifer. Presence of PPCP in groundwater at Los Alamos refines the conceptual model for fate and transport of mobile contaminants migrating through the deep vadose zone to the regional aquifer.
Patrick Longmire, Ph.D., New Mexico Environment Department, Ground Water Quality Bureau, Santa Fe, NM
Patrick Longmire is an aqueous geochemist with 39 years of experience in chemical characterization of aquifer systems. His expertise includes field and experimental investigations on the fate and transport of inorganic chemicals, reactive transport modeling, and stable isotope geochemistry. Longmire has taught short courses on groundwater geochemistry for the National Ground Water Association since 1987.
David Fellenz, New Mexico Environment Department, DOE Oversight Bureau, Los Alamos, NM
David Fellenz is a hydrogeologist with the DOE Oversight Bureau in Los Alamos, New Mexico. His research interests include groundwater chemistry, fate and transport of contaminants, and groundwater hydrology. Mr. Fellenz holds a BA in Geology from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Mr. Fellenz has seven years of experience in hydrology, including conducting site investigations and detailed groundwater sampling at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Kim Granzow, New Mexico Environment Department, DOE Oversight Bureau, Los Alamos, NM
Kim Granzow is an environmental scientist/geologist with the New Mexico Environment Department. Kim specializes in environmental monitoring for naturally occurring and anthropogenic contaminants such as perchlorate and plutonium, and utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in hydro-contaminant investigations. Kim has 11 years of experience in the field of geology and five years experience in GIS.
Michael R. Dale, New Mexico Environment Department, Hazardous Waste Bureau, Los Alamos, NM
Michael Dale is a hydrogeologist with the New Mexico Environment Department. He conducts hydrogeochemical investigations, including measuring naturally-occurring perchlorate and delineating groundwater flow paths using isotopic and chemical tracers. Dale has 16 years of experience in the fields of hydrochemistry and hydrogeology.
Megan Green, New Mexico Environment Department, DOE Oversight Bureau, Los Alamos, NM
Megan Green is a hydrogeologist with the DOE Oversight Bureau, New Mexico Environemnt Depart in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Her research interests include groundwater chemistry, fate and transport of contaminants, and groundwater hydrology. Ms. Green holds a MS in Geology from Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ. Ms. Green has eight years of experience in hydrology, including conducting site investigations and detailed groundwater sampling at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Stephen M. Yanicak, New Mexico Environment Department, DOE Oversight Bureau, Los Alamos, NM
Stephen Yanicak is a Natural Science Manager and geologist with the New Mexico Environment Department at Los Alamos. He manages a team of scientists that have been supporting State and DOE/UC groundwater investigations at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the past 13 years. Hydrologists staffed at the State Environment Department office in Los Alamos specialize in evaluating and delineating radionuclides and other isotopic and chemical tracers on the Pajarito Plateau within the vicinity of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Yanicak has an M.S. from New Mexico State and a B.S. from Sonoma State.
