A Record of Groundbreaking Science
Below is a running list of all RMP publications, with the most recent publications at the top. The Pulse, the RMP Update, and Status and Trends publications are included among others.
In addition to RMP-produced publications, the Bay RMP contributed to the production of Estuary News magazine, and many articles feature Bay RMP findings. Estuary News, a former publication of the San Francisco Estuary Partnership, reported San Francisco Bay, Delta, and watershed news from 1992 to 2023, and won an award for excellence in 2011. Read more about Estuary News.
Author(s): Erika Houtz | Rebecca Sutton | June-Soo Park | Meg Sedlak
2016
In late 2014, wastewater effluent samples were collected from eight treatment plants that discharge to San Francisco (SF) Bay in order to assess poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) currently released from municipal and industrial sources. In addition to direct…
Microplastic Contamination in San Francisco Bay - Fact Sheet
Author(s): Rebecca Sutton
2016
This factsheet compiles the findings for microplastics, as they are found in San Francisco Bay. The factsheet defines the different forms of contamination, the studies that have been performed as of 2016, and the findings of those studies.
Author(s): Rebecca Sutton | Jackson Brown V
2016
RMP stakeholders are pursuing cost-effective solutions to contamination of the SF Bay through measures that prevent, rather than clean up contamination. Early identification of problem CECs and quick action to prevent their spread is the best way to protect water quality in…
Microplastic contamination in the San Francisco Bay, California, USA
Author(s): Rebecca Sutton | Sherri Mason | Shavonne Stanek | Ellen Willis-Norton | Ian Wren | Carolynn Box
2016
Despite widespread detection of microplastic pollution in marine environments, data describing microplastic abundance in urban estuaries and microplastic discharge via treated municipal wastewater are limited. This study presents information on abundance, distribution, and…
Microplastic pollution is widely detected in US municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent
Author(s): Sherri Mason | D Garneau | Rebecca Sutton | Y Chu | K Ehmann | J Barnes | D Papazissimos | DL Rogers
2016
Municipal wastewater effluent has been proposed as one pathway for microplastics to enter the aquatic environment. Here we present a broad study of municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent as a pathway for microplastic pollution to enter receiving waters. A total of 90…
Author(s): Rebecca Sutton | Meg Sedlak
2015
About this Update
The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) has been investigating contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) since 2001.…
Author(s): Jill Kerrigan | Daniel Engstrom | Donald Yee | Charles Sueper | Paul Erickson | Matthew Grandbois | Kristopher McNeill | William Arnold
2015
Hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (OH-BDEs) are a new class of contaminants of emerging concern, but the relative roles of natural and anthropogenic sources remain uncertain. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as brominated flame retardants, and they…
Fact Sheet: Innovative Visualization Tool for Accessing Water Quality Data
Author(s): SFEI
2015
The Contaminant Data Display and Download Tool (CD3) is a multifaceted data distribution and visualization system, available to all site visitors at no cost. It displays data from SFEI/ASC’s Regional Data Center, aggregating data across a wide array of projects, programs,…
The Effects of Kaolin Clay on the Amphipod Eohaustorius estuarius
Author(s): Brian Anderson | Bryn Phillips | Jennifer Voorhees
2015
Several lines of evidence from the Regional Monitoring Program and other studies have suggested that sediment grain size characteristics influence amphipod (Eohaustorius estuarius) survival in 10 day toxicity tests. Two workshops were convened to address the…
Charter: Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay
Author(s): Phil Trowbridge | Jay Davis | R Wilson
2015
The overarching goal of the RMP is to collect data and communicate information about water quality in San Francisco Bay in support of management decisions. The RMP was created in 1993 through Regional Board Resolution No. 92-043 that directed the Executive Officer to…
Author(s): Alicia Gilbreath | Lester McKee
2015
Urban runoff has been identified in water quality policy documents for San Francisco Bay as a large and potentially controllable source of pollutants. In response, concentrations of suspended sediments and a range of trace organic pollutants were intensively measured in dry…
