Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Open-File Report 684

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Occurrence and Distribution of Organic Wastewater

Contaminants in Waters of the Gallatin Valley, Gallatin County, Montana

Photo Credit: A. English

Gary A. Icopini,1 Tammy Swinney,2 and Alan English1,2

1Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology 1300 West Park Street

Butte, MT 59701 2Gallatin Local Water Quality District

215 W. Mendenhall, Suite 300 Bozeman, MT 59715

2016

Icopini, Swinney, and English

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Table of Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 6

Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 10Organic Wastewater Contaminants in the Environment ........................................................................................ 10Potential Human and Animal Health Impacts ......................................................................................................... 10Gallatin Valley ............................................................................................................................................................. 12

Materials and Methods ................................................................................................................................ 15Sampling ................................................................................................................................................. 15Wastewater Treatment Facilities ............................................................................................................ 20

Community Pressure-Dosing Septic System ........................................................................................................... 20Level II Recirculating Trickling-Filter Treatment System .................................................................................... 20Fixed Film Activated Sludge (BioWheel) Facility .............................................................................................. 21Sequencing Batch Reactor Facilities ........................................................................................................................ 21Oxidation Ditch Facility ............................................................................................................................................. 22Aeration Lagoon Facility ............................................................................................................................................ 22Modified Activated Sludge Bardenpho Process Facility ....................................................................................... 23

Sample Analysis Methods ...................................................................................................................... 23OWC Sample Preservation ..................................................................................................................... 25Quality ControlQuality Assurance ....................................................................................................... 25

Results and Discussion ............................................................................................................................... 26Data Quality ............................................................................................................................................ 26

Columbia Analytical Services (CAS) Analyses ...................................................................................................... 26ELISA Analyses .......................................................................................................................................................... 29AXYS Analytical Services (AXYS) Analyses ........................................................................................................ 31

Analytical Comparison ........................................................................................................................... 31Wastewater Treatment Facilities ............................................................................................................ 35Groundwater ........................................................................................................................................... 49Surface Water ......................................................................................................................................... 56

East Gallatin River ...................................................................................................................................................... 58West Gallatin River and Gallatin River ................................................................................................................... 60Bozeman Creek and Hyalite Creek ........................................................................................................................... 62

Domestic and Public Water Supplies ..................................................................................................... 64

Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................. 65

Recommendations for Decreasing OWCs in the Environment ................................................................... 67

Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................... 69

References ................................................................................................................................................... 69

Appendix A: Sample Collection Protocol for Analysis of Organic Wastewater Contaminants (OWCs) .. 73

Appendix B: Solid Phase Extraction and ELISA Analytical Procedures ................................................... 81

Appendix C: AXYS Analytical Services Analyte List, Chemical Uses and Characteristics ...................... 87

Appendix D: Columbia Analytical Services Blank Data ............................................................................ 90

Appendix E: Columbia Analytical Services Triplicate Data ...................................................................... 95

Appendix F: ELISA Data............................................................................................................ 103

MBMG Open-File Report 684

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Appendix G: AXYS Data ........................................................................................................... 107Appendix H: Columbia Analytical Services Groundwater Data ................................................ 115Appendix I: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Laboratory Groundwater Chemistry

Data ................................................................................................................................. 122Appendix J: Columbia Analytical Services Surface-Water Data ............................................... 126Appendix K: Stream Field Measurement Data ........................................................................... 130Appendix L: Columbia Analytical Services Wastewater Data ................................................... 132

Icopini, Swinney, and English

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List of Figures Figure 1. Maps showing the study site area with major roadways, streams, and section lines. ... 13Figure 2. Geology of the Gallatin Valley. ..................................................................................... 14Figure 3. The locations of the wastewater treatment facilities sampled for the project. .............. 16Figure 4. Map showing the locations of the domestic, monitoring, and public water-supply wells sampled in relation to the wastewater sampling sites. Blue arrows indicate groundwater flow directions. ...................................................................................................................................... 18Figure 5. Location of the surface-water sites sampled for the project. ......................................... 19Figure 6. The range (bars) and mean concentrations (squares) of OWCs measured in the wastewater influent samples (16 influent samples) with the frequency of detection for each compound in parentheses after the name (6 WWTP facilities sampled). ..................................... 36Figure 7. The range (bars) and mean concentrations (squares) of OWCs measured in the wastewater effluent samples (16 samples) with the frequency of detection for each compound in parentheses after the name (6 WWTP facilities sampled). ........................................................... 36Figure 8. The range (bars) and mean concentrations (squares) of OWCs measured in the wastewater effluent samples (4 samples) with the frequency of detection for each compound in parentheses after the name (2 community septic systems sampled). ............................................ 38Figure 9. The range (bars) and mean concentrations (squares) of OWCs measured in wastewater effluent samples via the ELISA method (five WWTP facilities; 13 samples) with the frequency of detection for each compound in parentheses after the name (no septic systems sampled). ..... 38Figure 10. Individual OWC removal efficiencies for the November 2008 sampling of the modified activated sludge WWTP. .....................................