Organic contaminants of concern in Northern Pakistan river ecosystems

Schilling Costello, M. Christina

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/109889 Copy

Description

Title

Organic contaminants of concern in Northern Pakistan river ecosystems

Author(s)

Schilling Costello, M. Christina

Issue Date

2021-04-28

Keyword(s)

emerging contaminants

Abstract

Presented by: M. Christina Schilling Costello – PhD student at Purdue University, mschill@purdue.edu; and Saba Shoukat – PhD student from the University of Peshawar Co-authors: Neelam Asad, Bushra Khan, Linda S. Lee Abstract: Decreasing fish populations in Northern Pakistan have adversely impacted local livelihoods. A multi-disciplinary collaboration between the US and Pakistan was formed to study the drivers and impacts of the declines. We sought to identify and quantify organic contaminants in the Swat and Kabul Rivers to inform the implementation of regional policies that improve water quality and fish health. Water (n=19) and sediment (n=11) samples were collected along the Swat and Kabul Rivers in 2018 and 2019. 68 compounds including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, hormones, and product additives were targeted via liquid chromatography tandem quadrapole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Both rivers contained pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and chemicals in personal care products. Phthalates and bisphenol A are endocrine disruptors that were found. Concentrations of some organic contaminants were linked with seasonality. Further research is needed to establish a link between fish declines and these contaminants, since the contaminants identified were found in water at levels below those reported to cause adverse effects in commonly tested fish species. Biography: Christina Schilling Costello is a third year PhD student in Purdue University’s Ecological Sciences and Engineering program. She conducts research in Dr. Linda Lee’s lab with interests in emerging contaminants in water and biosolids. Her research also includes PFAS in biosolids and associated plant-uptake. Prior to joining Dr. Lee’s lab, she was an Environmental Health Specialist in Phoenix, Arizona. She obtained a B.S. from the University of Evansville in Chemistry and Environmental Science in 2016.

Series/Report Name or Number

2021 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference (ECEC21)

Type of Resource

• text
• still image

Language

en

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109889

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