Bioanalytical screening expands to San Gabriel, Santa Ana watersheds

SCCWRP and its partners have analyzed an initial set of water samples collected from the San Gabriel River and Santa Ana River watersheds using bioanalytical screening tools – a major expansion of an ongoing effort to begin using the screening technology to routinely monitor freshwater systems for major classes of bioactive contaminants.

During the study’s first phase, completed in September, researchers analyzed water samples from 20 different sites using the using the glucocorticoid receptor, estrogen receptor and aryl hydrocarbon receptor assays. California already requires certain types of recycled water to be screened using the latter two assays.

Researchers plan to conduct follow-up analysis on water samples with high bioactivity levels to determine the specific chemical contaminants responsible.

Researchers are using the diversity of sites across two urban watersheds to test-drive bioanalytical technology on a wider scale. This effort complements a similar, ongoing effort by the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program to apply the same three bioassay tools to screen the region’s coastal marine sediments.