Sediment Contaminant Data from Australian Wastewater Outfalls

Sediment analysis results from three wastewater treatment plant outfalls in Australia, focusing on contaminant retention. The study measured five contaminant groups, including nutrients, metals, antibiotics, PFAS, and microplastics. Data was collected by the NESP MaC 2.4 project and is managed by the Australian Ocean Data Network, with an embargo until mid-2026.

Use Cases

• Compare contaminant concentrations like PFAS and metals between shallow retentive (Glenelg, St Kilda) and deep dispersive (Malabar) outfall environments.
• Analyze spatial patterns of emerging contaminants such as antibiotics and microplastics in marine sediments near discharge points.
• Correlate sediment contaminant levels with effluent and seawater data from the related study to model pollutant pathways.

Strengths

• Focus on five specific contaminant groups identified as highly important by water quality managers.
• Direct comparison of contaminant retention across two distinct coastal environmental settings.

Limitations

• Sample size and number of sampling locations are unknown.
• Data is embargoed and not publicly accessible until an estimated mid-2026 publication date.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, NESP MaC 2.4 project.

Collection Method

Sediment samples collected from wastewater treatment plant outfalls for laboratory analysis.

Freshness

Last metadata update was 2026-04-04, but underlying data is embargoed.

Geography

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