Impact of Indirect Potable Reuse on Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in the Potomac River Basin

The Potomac River Basin is significant for both public and ecological health as it flows directly into the ecologically-sensitive Chesapeake Bay. It is a drinking water source for about 5 million people living in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. The discovery of intersex fish, an indicator of poor ecological health, in the Chesapeake Bay occurred in the 2000s, and has led to a series of studies in the watershed to determine the sources and magnitude of endocrine disruption. Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are exogenous chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system and can cause detrimental health effects at low concentrations. This study aims to understand a best management practice referred to as planned indirect potable reuse (IPR) and its impacts on EDCs. The Occoquan Watershed is a planned IPR subwatershed of the Potomac River Basin. Water samples were collected at the water reclamation plant discharge (Upper Occoquan Service Authority), up- and downstream of that location along Bull Run, and at the water treatment plant intake (Frederick P. Griffith WTP) in the Occoquan Watershed to assess planned IPR. Samples were also collected at a water treatment plant (James J. Corbalis WTP) along the Potomac River for comparison as an unplanned IPR location. These two groups of samples were analyzed for EDCs (categorized into two groups: estrogen hormones and other synthetic organic compounds (SOCs)), nutrients, and other water quality parameters. The infrequency of estrogen hormones and SOC patterns indicate planned and unplanned IPR are both viable approaches to provide safe drinking water

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Flanery, Amelia Lynn

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Godrej, Adil N.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Novak, John T.
• Rosenfeldt, Erik John
• Rippy, Megan A.

• synthetic organic compounds
• endocrine disrupting compounds
• indirect potable reuse
• Potomac River

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:25959

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/106913