In-situ fate of wastewater-derived micropollutants - impacts of future climatic scenarios

微污染物，如药物（例如，抗抑郁药，抗癫痫药）和个人护理产品（例如，抗菌剂，香料）以极低的浓度存在于环境中，但在对暴露的生物体诱导毒理学效应方面可能是高度有效的（例如，鱼类雌性化，降低生物体适应性）。尽管人们对它们在水生环境中的存在有了很好的了解，但在实地评估它们的环境归宿以及在不同环境分区（即，地表水、沉积物和生物群）。利用我在痕量有机污染物检测和污染物归宿建模方面的专业知识，我的研究计划将评估城市废水排放的微污染物在城市水生环境中的归宿的机制，并将观察到的水生生物的生态毒理学效应与接收环境中微污染物的波动水平联系起来（例如，河流和溪流）。我们将通过利用位于卡尔加里的联邦和地方资助的推进加拿大废水资产（ACWA）研究设施的最先进的人工溪流系统来实现我们的研究目标。随着我们越来越意识到城市废水的复杂性，我的研究对于支持我们的废水管理系统继续努力保护环境和人类健康非常重要。随着包括干旱在内的极端天气事件的严重性预计会增加，我们获得饮用水源的机会可能会受到限制，这进一步鼓励我们的社区诉诸水的再利用。为了保护我们的水生环境，并为未来可能稀缺的“高质量”饮用水源的需求做好准备，我的研究为了解包括微污染物在内的新兴威胁对水质的影响奠定了基础。我的研究的预期成果是：（1）推导出与微污染物监管相关的阈值和目标;（2）估计未来气候情景对微污染物归宿和迁移的影响;以及（3）从污染源开始，开发综合它们在环境中的运动的模型（废水），一直到暴露的水生生物（底栖无脊椎动物）。总的来说，我的研究是有益的，因为它将指导我们的加拿大废水系统开发补救方案，减少微污染物的暴露风险。特别是，发达国家的模式可以采用废水从业者和流域管理者在作出明智的决定，废水减排战略，仔细考虑未来的气候情景。这项工作进一步突出了加拿大在推进保护环境和保护人类健康所需的废水研究方面的承诺和领导作用。

Micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals (e.g., antidepressants, anti-epileptics) and personal care products (e.g., antibacterials, fragrances) are present in the environment at extremely low concentrations, but can be highly potent in inducing toxicological effects to exposed organisms (e.g., fish feminization, reduced organism fitness). Although there is a good understanding of their occurrence in the aquatic environment, knowledge gaps exist on the field assessment of their environmental fate and transport in and out of different environmental compartments (i.e., surface water, sediments, and biota). Using my expertise in trace organic contaminant detection and contaminant fate modelling, my research program will evaluate the mechanisms underlying the fate of micropollutants discharged by municipal wastewaters in urban aquatic environments, and will link the observed ecotoxicological effects in aquatic organisms to the fluctuating levels of micropollutants in the receiving environment (e.g., rivers and streams). We will accomplish our study objectives by utilizing the state-of-the-art artificial streams system housed at the federally- and locally-funded Advancing the Canadian Wastewater Assets (ACWA) research facility located in Calgary. As we become increasingly aware of the complexity of municipal wastewaters, my research is important in supporting our wastewater management systems in their continued efforts to protect the environment and human health. With the forecast increase in the severity of extreme weather events including droughts, our access to drinking water sources may be limited, further encouraging our communities to resort to water reuse. To protect our aquatic environment and prepare our communities for the future demands of potentially scarce "high-quality" drinking water sources, my research lays the foundation in understanding the impacts of emerging threats on water quality including micropollutants. The anticipated outcomes of my research are the: (1) derivation of thresholds and targets relevant to the regulation of micropollutants; (2) estimates of impacts of future climate scenarios on their fate and transport; and (3) development of a model that synthesizes their movement in the environment, starting from the contaminant source (wastewater), and all the way to the exposed aquatic organisms (bottom-dwelling invertebrates). Overall, my research is beneficial as it will guide our Canadian wastewater systems to develop remedial options that will reduce the exposure risks to micropollutants. In particular, the developed model can be employed by wastewater practitioners and watershed managers when making informed decisions about wastewater abatement strategies, with careful consideration of future climatic scenarios. This work further highlights Canada's commitment and leadership in advancing wastewater research required to safeguard the environment and protect human health.