Dataset for Monitoring Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater Impacted Vernal Pools Using Integrative and Grab Sampling

Active ingredients in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) can persist through wastewater treatment plants and be released into the environment, where they can inadvertently pose risks to non-target organisms. Emerging contaminants (ECs), including PPCPs, are commonly detected in wastewater effluent. With the increasing beneficial re-use of treated wastewater globally, there is a need to understand how spray-irrigation activities affect the occurrence and persistence of ECs in the environment to which they are introduced. Here, we explore the impacts of wastewater spray-irrigation on nearby ephemeral wetlands (i.e., vernal pools), through the usage of grab and Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampling (POCIS) techniques. This study evaluated 34 ECs in three vernal pools impacted by spray-irrigation activities in a mixed-use forested and agricultural setting in central Pennsylvania (the Living Filter). From spring through fall 2018, weekly grab water samples were collected from three vernal pools and their irrigation laterals. In addition, POCIS were deployed on a monthly basis during the sampling period. The goal of this study was to determine whether integrative sampling techniques are better suited than traditional grab sampling techniques to assess the presence and concentration ranges of ECs in vernal pools. The results of this project help to advance understanding of the potential impact of wastewater beneficial reuse on vernal pools and inform how best to monitor the presence of ECs in vernal pools using integrative and grab sampling techniques.