Coastal Wastewater Effluent And Seawater Contaminant Sampling

NESP MaC 2.4 project data contains measurements of treated effluent and seawater contaminants from wastewater treatment plant outfalls. The dataset compares contaminant levels from two shallow, retentive outfalls in South Australia (Glenelg and St Kilda) with a deep-water, dispersive outfall in New South Wales (Malabar). It focuses on five contaminant groups: nutrients, metals, antibiotics, PFAS, and microplastics.

Use Cases

• Compare concentrations of nutrients and metals between effluent and adjacent seawater samples to assess discharge impact.
• Analyze spatial distribution of PFAS and microplastics data across the three distinct outfall environments.
• Correlate antibiotic levels in effluent with seawater samples to model contaminant dispersion and retention.
• Evaluate contaminant of emerging concern (CEC) profiles, specifically PFAS and microplastics, against traditional pollutants like metals.

Strengths

• Data covers five distinct contaminant groups identified as high priority by water quality managers.
• Provides a direct comparison between shallow/retentive and deep/dispersive coastal receiving environments.

Limitations

• Specific sample counts, row numbers, and measurement frequencies are not provided.
• Data is embargoed and unavailable for use until an estimated mid-2026 publication date.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field sampling of treated effluent, seawater, and marine sediments from three specific wastewater treatment plant outfalls.

Time Range

null

Freshness

null

Geography

South Australia (Glenelg and St Kilda) and New South Wales (Malabar), Australia.