Event Date
Dr. Rebecca Sutton
San Francisco Estuary Institute
Only recently has urban stormwater runoff been recognized as an important pathway by which contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) can be transported to receiving waters. San Francisco Bay, an urban estuary that supports a population of over 7 million people, serves as a useful laboratory for studies of anthropogenic contaminants in urban stormwater and impacts on water quality. The Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) has conducted a four-year screening study to evaluate the concentrations of priority classes of CECs in stormwater, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), flame retardants and plastic additives, and several chemicals associated with urban stormwater, such as ingredients in vehicle tires. Findings have already informed key management actions to protect aquatic life, and will be used to guide development of a sustained stormwater CECs monitoring and modeling effort for San Francisco Bay.