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

微污染物，如药物(如抗抑郁剂、抗癫痫药)和个人护理产品(如抗菌剂、香水)在环境中的浓度极低，但在对暴露的生物体造成毒理效应(如鱼类雌性化、生物适应性降低)方面可能很强。尽管人们对它们在水环境中的存在有很好的了解，但在对它们的环境命运和进出不同环境隔间(即地表水、沉积物和生物群)的运输的实地评估方面存在知识差距。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在城市水环境中排放的微污染物的归宿机制，并将所观察到的水生生物的生态毒理效应与接收环境(如河流和溪流)中微污染物的波动水平联系起来。我们将通过利用位于卡尔加里的联邦和地方资助的先进的加拿大废水资产(ACWA)研究设施中的最先进的人工河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具有重要意义。随着包括干旱在内的极端天气事件严重程度的预测增加，我们获得饮用水水源的机会可能会受到限制，进一步鼓励我们的社区求助于水再利用。为了保护我们的水环境，并使我们的社区做好准备，以满足未来对潜在稀缺的“高质量”饮用水水源的需求，我的研究为了解包括微污染物在内的新出现的威胁对水质的影响奠定了基础。我的研究的预期结果是：(1)与微污染物监管相关的阈值和目标的推导；(2)对未来气候情景对它们命运和运输影响的估计；以及(3)开发一个模型，合成它们在环境中的运动，从污染源(废水)开始，一直到暴露在环境中的水生生物(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，降低微污染物的暴露风险。特别是，废水从业者和流域管理人员可以在认真考虑未来气候情景的情况下，在做出关于废水减排战略的知情决定时使用所开发的模型。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.