Review of risks of Emerging Organic Contaminants in Southland waterbodies

Mike Stewart teamed up with Louis Tremblay (Cawthron Institute) to report on potential issues associated with emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in the Southland region. Examples of EOCs include industrial chemicals (e.g. flame retardants, plasticisers, surfactants, UV filters), pharmaceuticals (including antibiotics), personal care products, and steroid hormones. There are multiple sources of EOCs as they are found in products that can be used daily and released into the environment in significant quantities. Using current understanding and knowledge, this report to Environment Southland is targeted at policymakers and outlines the risks to human health and ecosystem health from emerging contaminants that could potentially be in Southland’s water bodies.