The Wastewater Pathway & the Importance of Pollution Prevention - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Wastewater Pathway & the Importance of Pollution Prevention

Triclosan and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates

Melody LaBella, P.E. DTSC Aquatic Impacts Workshop January 11, 2017

Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San)

• 145 sq. mile service area
• Serves ~500,000 residents

and 3,000+ businesses

• >1,500 mile sew er system
• Mostly domestic flow

2015 Stats

• Treated ~32 MGD

w astew ater (avg. daily)

• Produced ~600 million

gallons of recycled w ater

Wastewater Treatment 101

Pollutants

A i r

S

• l

i d s

Effluent

Recycled Water

More Treatment?

• Reverse osmosis, ozone, and

advanced oxidation processes can remove or degrade many chemicals, but…

• Very high capital costs (rate increases)
• High energy demand
• High operations & maintenance costs
• Brine disposal (shifts CECs to another media)
• Some CECs persist
• Neutral charge
• Low molecular weight

Constituents of Emerging Concern (CECs)

• Unregulated chemicals found in low

concentrations in the water environment

• Not routinely monitored for in wastewater or

waterways (sporadic data)

• Unknown impact on the environment
• Chemicals are innocent until proven guilty
• Shifts burden to government agencies

Issues for POTWs

• Limited ability to remove CECs
• Discharge into surface waters
• Toxicity regulation of discharge
• Violations and third party lawsuits
• CECs can be found in recycled water and

biosolids, which could limit options for beneficial reuse.

How POTWs Approach CECs

• POTW community becomes aware of a CEC
• Waterway monitoring data shows detection
• Study shows a downstream aquatic impact
• POTWs determine potential sources and

pathways to the wastewater stream

• POTWs take action where possible, which
• ften has only been doing outreach.

Pollution Prevention

• Moving beyond outreach
• Legislation
• Working directly with

manufacturers to make product changes

• Regulation

Is it necessary?

Most chemicals used indoors have a pathway to the sewer

Triclosan

Triclosan

• Hand soap
• Dishwashing products
• Laundry detergents
• Toothpaste
• Deodorants
• Shampoo
• Cosmetics
• Impregnated in products
• Toys, cutting boards, sponges

• In 1978, the FDA proposed removing triclosan

from certain products. (never finalized rule)

• In 2010, NRDC sued the FDA to force issuance of

the final rule.

• FDA re-issued proposed rule December 2013.
• In Fall 2016, FDA announced that Triclosan and

18 other antibacterial agents are banned in hand soaps.

Triclosan

• Hand soap
• Dishwashing products
• Laundry detergents
• Toothpaste
• Deodorants
• Shampoo
• Cosmetics
• Impregnated in products
• Toys, cutting boards, sponges

Nonylphenol Ethoxlates (NPEs)

NPEs

• Commercial/industrial

laundry detergents

• Cleaning products
• Paint

NPEs

• In the 1970s, NPEs were phased out of

household soaps and detergents due to their:

• Toxicity
• Slow and incomplete biodegradability
• Resulting bioaccumulation in aquatic

wildlife

Triclosan and NPEs

We need your help in reducing the amount of these toxic chemicals reaching wastewater treatment plants in California!

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Thank You!