Presence and transport of the antimicrobials triclocarban and triclosan in a wastewater-dominated stream and freshwater environment

The presence of the antimicrobials triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS)in Fountain Creek, a wastewater-dominated stream, and the Arkansas River, Colorado, USA was measured in the surface water, suspended sediments, and bed sediments during spring runoff (high flow) and summer base flow (low flow) conditions. Fountain Creak is a tributary of the Arkansas River. Passive polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) were used along with active sampling (water grab samples) to measure and TCS concentrations in these surface waters. The concentration of TCC and TCS, based on POCIS measurements, ranged from 4.5 to 47.3 ng/L and 3.9 to 28.3 ng/L, respectively, at the five sample sites monitored in this study under both flow conditions. The range of concentrations of TCC and TCS in suspended sediments was 0.7–57.3 ng/g and 0.7–13.3 ng/g, respectively, and was closely tied to the quantity of organic carbon in the suspended sediment, which ranged from 1.6 to 14.5%. The quantity of organic carbon in suspended sediment during the summer base flow was influenced by runoff from the burn area of a large forest fire that occurred between the two sampling periods. The primary transport mechanism of TCC and TCS in these surface waters was in the dissolved phase, with 64–99% of TCC and 68–99% of TCS transported in the dissolved phase. The total amount of TCS and TCC in bed-sediments was relatively low, with the maximum amount at any one site being 0.38 ± 0.15 ng/g TCS and 4.09 ± 5.26 ng/g TCC. Fountain Creek contributed up to 76% and 69% of the TCC and TCS, respectively, that is transported directly below its confluence with Arkansas River. Fountain Creek drained approximately 3.0 g/day TCS (in spring), 2.9 g/day TCS (in summer) and 1.9 g/day TCC (in spring), 2.0 g/day TCC (in–summer) into the Arkansas River, which suggests consistent input of TCC and TCS into Fountain Creek, such as in discharge of treated wastewater that is independent of changing creek flow conditions. [Display omitted] •Triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS) in a wastewater-impacted stream was measured.•TCC and TCS were primarily transported within the dissolved phase in the stream.•TCC and TCS in suspended sediment was strongly correlated with organic carbon.