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NESP MaC Project 4.22 - Environmental concentrations of emerging contaminants in coastal stormwater (UTS)
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Australian researchers tracked chemicals from everyday life—like medications, pesticides, and microplastics—as they wash into coastal waters through stormwater and wastewater, especially studying what happens during major storms like Cyclone Alfred. While this study focused on environmental impact rather than direct human health effects, it matters because these same coastal waters are used for swimming, fishing, and shellfish harvesting, and understanding contaminant levels helps protect both marine ecosystems and the seafood and water supplies people depend on.
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are natural and synthetic chemicals associated with pharmaceuticals, pesticides, industrial products, household items and microplastics that can affect environmental and human health. Australian wastewater and coastal water quality strategies have identified the need to better understand the concentrations, distribution and ecological impacts of these contaminants in marine environments, particularly in relation to wastewater discharges and stormwater inputs. This project extended NESP Marine and Coastal Hub [Project 2.4](https://www.nespmarinecoastal.edu.au/project/2-4) that investigated CECs in Australian coastal waters, by increasing the spatial and temporal resolution of sampling around wastewater outfalls and stormwater systems. Sampling focused on Gamay (NSW) and Glenelg (South Australia), enabling comparison between wastewater treatment plant effluent and coastal stormwater inputs across different seasons and environmental conditions. Field programs collected water and sediment samples to quantify contaminants including pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, PFAS, metals and microplastics. Associated environmental variables were also measured. Ecogenomic approaches were used to assess microbial assemblages and antimicrobial resistance to examine the potential ecological impacts of contaminant exposure. The project also incorporated targeted stormwater sampling associated with major flooding following Tropical Cyclone Alfred in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, providing a rare time-series dataset on contaminant mobilisation during extreme rainfall events. The project maintained and expanded the [National Outfall Database](https://nod.org.au) through continued collection, collation and reporting of wastewater treatment plant discharge data, including outfall flows, pollutant loads and associated infrastructure information. Project outputs improve the evidence base needed to inform contaminant guideline development, wastewater and stormwater management. This includes coastal marine park and Ramsar wetland management, and future assessment of ecological risks associated with contaminants of emerging concern.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic contamination in coastal environments: Assessing the role of rainfall and stormwater inputs
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Scientists studying beaches near Adelaide, Australia found that concrete stormwater drains dump nearly twice as many microplastics (tiny plastic bits, mostly from clothing fibers and tires) into coastal waters compared to natural river mouths. This matters because these microplastics can work their way into seafood and the broader food chain, and it suggests that upgrading how cities manage stormwater runoff could be a meaningful way to cut down on plastic pollution before it reaches our oceans and, eventually, our plates.
Spatiotemporal patterns, loads, and risks of microplastics in the stormwater system of a subtropical coastal city
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Researchers found that stormwater drains in a coastal city (Macao) are packed with tiny plastic particles—sometimes thousands per liter—that get washed off streets during rain and flow straight into the ocean, where marine life can ingest them. This matters because these microplastics eventually make their way up the food chain into the seafood we eat, and the study found the plastic types detected pose a notably high risk to ecosystems, highlighting the need for better stormwater filtering systems in cities.
Sources, presence and potential effects of contaminants of emerging concern in the marine environments of the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, Australia
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This review assessed contaminants of emerging concern including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides in the marine environments of Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, identifying gaps in current monitoring and management. The study highlights that even these iconic, relatively remote reef systems face growing chemical pollution threats.
Occurrence of priority and emerging organic contaminants in cold-water corals and their habitat: A case study in La Herradura Bay (Spain)
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Researchers found that untreated wastewater is leaking pharmaceuticals, sunscreen chemicals, and other pollutants into a protected Spanish bay, where endangered cold-water corals are soaking them up into their tissues. This matters because it shows how everyday products we use, from medications to sunscreens, end up contaminating marine ecosystems when wastewater isn't properly treated, potentially harming vulnerable ocean life and signaling broader pollution risks in coastal waters we depend on for food and recreation.
Flood-driven microplastics pollution and its ecotoxicological footprint in shallow marine habitats
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Researchers review global evidence showing that flooding events rapidly mobilize accumulated microplastics from soils, sediments, and urban surfaces, delivering concentrated pulses to shallow coastal ecosystems and incrementally raising background contamination levels — concluding that extreme hydrological events must be factored into coastal microplastic monitoring and ecological risk frameworks.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.