Triclosan occurrence in freshwater systems in the United States (1999–2012): A meta-analysis

Recently, concern has grown regarding the presence of triclosan (TCS) in waters because of its potential for causing ecological and human health effects. The authors present a statistical analysis of TCS concentrations reported between 1999 and 2012 in freshwater environments in the United States and provide a comparison with available health-based and aquatic guidance values. Data from 46 peer-reviewed and unpublished investigations from 45 states and 1 US territory were included in the metaanalysis, encompassing the following coded water types: untreated (raw wastewater), effluent (wastewater treatment plant effluent), effluent-impacted environmental, environmental, and finished drinking water (total n1⁄4 2305). Triclosan was most frequently detected in untreated waters (92% detection frequency; mean standard error, 11 27