Summary

CWH researchers are evaluating three organic wastewater compounds as markers—caffeine, triclosan and triclocarban— to trace microbial contaminants from sewage spills to surface waters. Based on an initial analysis of samples from three Baltimore area watersheds, triclosan and triclocarban were found to be more effective than the traditional marker caffeine in tracking the presence of enterococci, fecal coliforms and E.coli in surface waters.