Triclosan, Caffeine, and Nonylphenol Concentration Profiles for Boulder Creek, Colorado

Triclosan, caffeine, and nonylphenol concentration profiles for Boulder Creek, Colorado, showing downstream variations during spring runoff (June 2000). Streamflow is from left to right. The increase in concentrations from site aWWTP to site 75 is the result of the discharge from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Triclosan is an antimicrobial disinfectant used in many soaps. Caffeine is often used as an indicator of human wastewater contamination. Nonylphenol is a detergent metabolite. See the following site map and table for sampling site locations and descriptions. The graph is a modified version of figure 4C from Barber and others, 2006.

Site Map

The location of water-quality sampling sites in the Boulder Creek Watershed, Colorado. See the table of site identifiers for the full name and exact location of the sites. The map is a modified version of figure 1 from Barber and others, 2006.

Table of Site Identifiers Used in the Above Graph and Map
The value in the distance column is the distance upstream from the confluence of Boulder Creek and St. Vrain Creek in kilometers (km). See site map for site locations. This table is an excerpt from Table SI-1 from Barber and others, 2006.

Site Identifier	Site description	Latitude	Longitude	Distance (km)
ELD	Middle Boulder Creek upstream from Eldora	39.949722	-105.590833	69.59
CAN	Boulder Creek at mouth from Boulder Canyon	40.013333	-105.294722	36.71
30	Boulder Creek downstream from 30th Street bridge	40.011111	-105.252778	32.99
aWWTP	Boulder Creek upstream from Boulder 75th Street WWTP	40.050000	-105.183889	24.44
75	Boulder Creek downstream from 75th Street bridge	40.051667	-105.177778	23.85
aCC	Boulder Creek upstream from Coal Creek	40.081944	-105.059722	10.97
aSV	Boulder Creek upstream from Saint Vrain Creek	40.158056	-105.009444	0.110

Reference

Barber, L.B., Murphy, S.F., Verplanck, P.L., Sandstrom, M.W., Taylor, H.E., and Furlong, E.T., 2006, Chemical loading into surface water along a hydrological, biogeochemical, and land use gradient—A holistic watershed approach: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 40, no. 2, p. 475-486, doi: 10.1021/es051270q. (Supporting Information)

More Information

Are Pharmaceuticals in Your Watershed? Understanding the Fate of Pharmaceuticals and Other Contaminants in Watersheds
Chemical Transformations in Water Reclamation and Reuse
In-Stream Processes that Control the Fate of Emerging Contaminants
Water Quality of the Boulder Creek Watershed, Colorado

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