Detection of pharmaceuticals and other personal care products in groundwater beneath and adjacent to onsite wastewater treatment systems in a coastal plain shallow aquifer.

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are the predominant disposal method for human waste in areas without municipal sewage treatment alternatives. Relatively few studies have addressed the release of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) from OWTS to groundwater. PPCP fate and transport from OWTS are important, particularly where these systems are adjacent to sensitive aquatic ecosystems such as coastal areas or wetlands. The objectives of this study were to identify PPCPs in residential wastewater and groundwater beneath OWTS and to characterize the environmental conditions affecting the OWTS discharge of PPCPs to nearby streams. The study sites are in coastal plain aquifers, which may be considered vulnerable "end-members" for subsurface PPCP transport. The PPCPs most commonly detected in the OWTS, at concentrations ranging from 0.12 µg L(-1) to 12.04 µg L(-1) in the groundwater, included: caffeine, ibuprofen, DEET, and homosalate. Their presence was related to particulate and dissolved organic carbon abundance.

Current status of mosquito control programs in North Carolina: the need for cost-effectiveness analysis.

Mosquito control in the U.S. is both technically specialized and labor intensive with mosquito control programs (MCPs) carrying out services at federal, state, and local levels. The scope of each MCP varies depending on the needs of the region. In the 1970s, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources formed the Public Health Pest Management (PHPM) section to play an active leadership role in training and support for local mosquito control programs across the state. PHPM was disbanded, however, in July 2011 due to state budget cuts. The extent to which recent budget shortfalls have impacted services provided by MCPs is largely unknown. Consequently, the primary objectives of the study described in this article were to 1) assess the current status of MCPs in North Carolina, 2) evaluate the extent to which the operational status of local MCPs affects public health, and 3) evaluate the impacts of losing the PHPM section in North Carolina.

Nitrogen and carbon dynamics beneath on-site wastewater treatment systems in Pitt County, North Carolina.

On-site wastewater treatment systems (OWS) are a potentially significant non-point source of nutrients to groundwater and surface waters, and are extensively used in coastal North Carolina. The goal of this study was to determine the treatment efficiency of four OWS in reducing total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations before discharge to groundwater and/or adjacent surface water. Piezometers were installed for groundwater sample collection and nutrient analysis at four separate residences that use OWS. Septic tank effluent, groundwater, and surface water samples (from an adjacent stream) were collected four times during 2012 for TDN and DOC analysis and pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, and dissolved oxygen measurements. Treatment efficiencies from the tank to the groundwater beneath the drainfields ranged from 33 to 95% for TDN and 45 to 82% for DOC, although dilution accounted for most of the concentration reductions. There was a significant positive correlation between nitrate concentration and separation distance from trench bottom to water table and a significant negative correlation between DOC concentration and separation distance. The TDN and DOC transport (>15 m) from two OWS with groundwater saturated drainfield trenches was significant.