I. Schreiber, W. Mitch
Apr 6, 2006
Citations
12
Influential Citations
130
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Environmental science & technology
Abstract
Using boron as a conservative tracer of municipal wastewater effluents, a mass balance was developed to determine river flowrates that requires only wastewater discharge flowrates and boron concentrations in wastewater effluents and in the river upstream and downstream of these discharges. Furthermore, this method permits calculation of the percentage of the river deriving from wastewater. This method could be useful within river sections featuring no independent data regarding river discharge. We assessed the decay of nitrate and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) precursors within an engineered treatment wetland and, using our boron analysis technique to account for dilution, within the Quinnipiac River (CT). Although both decayed with several day half-lives, their slow decay indicates they can persist to impact downstream drinking water supplies. Concentrations of NDMA and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) were measurable within the river, but concentrations of four other nitrosamines, their precursors, and NMOR precursors were not detectable.