Contaminant mixture dynamics and fate in an effluent dominated stream

Effluent-dominated streams are defined as surface waters that receive majority of their water from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Effluent-dominated streams are characterized by the presence of numerous contaminants from treated municipal waste and upstream runoff. WWTPs release thousands of chemicals into these streams, which mix with existing environmental pollutants, forming complex and potentially toxic mixtures. These mixtures can be mobile, persistent, and harmful to aquatic organisms and downstream drinking water sources. Despite their significance, research on the characterization, dynamics, and ecological fate of these complex mixtures is limited. This thesis aims to address this gap by investigating the dynamics of complex mixtures from effluent in surface water, groundwater, and the broader ecosystem.