Pilot Studies

Exposure and Effects Pilot Study

In 2007, the RMP will continue the Pilot Study of contaminant exposure and effects in the Bay. The 2003 RMP Program Review Panel recommended an increase in the Exposure and Effects Pilot Study (EEPS) budget and stated that biological effects research should be a priority. In response to this concern, the SC increased the funding for the EEPS budge to $200,000 per year and extend the pilot study through 2008. This budget includes funds for SFEI labor, subcontractors (e.g., analytical laboratories), and direct costs.

The study is multifaceted, and has included a variety of different exposure and effects indicators of beneficial use impairment. The purpose of EEPS is to develop suite of environmental indicators that can be incorporated into the core Status and Trends monitoring program.

  • Evaluating Endocrine Disruption in Bay Fish
  • Development of Forster’s Tern Egg Monitoring as an Effects Indicator

Special Studies

Small Tributary Load Study (Zone 4 Hayward)

Authors: Lester McKee (SFEI)

Davis et al. (2000) recommended that six observation watersheds picked on the basis of land use. This long standing recommendation by the SPLWG was indorsed by the WG during 2005 and written into the SPLWG 5-year Work Plan (McKee, 2005). To-date most information on the functioning of small tributaries in the Bay Area is based on water and sediment data collected by the USGS. During WY 2003-2006, the SPLWG oversaw the 1st Small Tributaries Loading Study on the Guadalupe River (McKee et al., 2004, 2005, 2006) chosen based on recommendations by Leatherbarrow et al. (2002). During 2005, the SPLWG oversaw and small pilot reconnaissance study of small tributaries in an effort to make a decision on where to begin a 2nd Small Tributaries Loading Study. Given that historic and current industrialized areas are found mainly on the lower-rainfall Bay margin, the SPLWG decided to recommend a small industrial watershed. Through a process of voting and WG discussion, Zone 4 Line A was chosen. Study of this small 4 km2 area in industrial/commercial Hayward will provide valuable information on loads derived from small, low rainfall, but highly impervious, commercial and industrialized “storm drain watersheds” on the Bay margin. This is particularly important for updating regional TMDL estimates of Hg and PCBs loads derived from urban runoff. In addition, loadings studies will provide baseline data so that trends through time can be assessed, and provide data for models that describe biological effects in the Bay.

Pharmaceuticals in Effluent and the South Bay

Authors: Daniel Oros (SFEI)

Pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin and trimethoprim), analgesics (e.g., ibuprofen and acetaminophen), antiinflammatories (e.g., diclofenac and naproxen), antidepressants (e.g., Prozac), antihypertensives (e.g., atenolol and propranolol), anticancers (e.g., paclitaxel and tamoxifen), and sexual performance enhancers (e.g., Viagra and Levitra), among other drugs, are used to treat illness, disease, and medical conditions in humans and animals. The primary pathway is ingestion followed by subsequent excretion into the municipal sewage system, while the secondary pathway is disposal of unused and outdated medications directly into the sewage system. These biologically active...