David M Quanrud

Interests

Teaching

water quality, water resources

Research

water reclamation and reuse, wastewater treatment, emerging contaminants, water conservation, water resource issues in arid lands

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Books

• Quanrud, D. M. (2000).

  Constructed wetlands and soil-aquifer treatment systems: Effects on the character of effluent organic matter

  .

Chapters

• Kheirinejad, S., Bozorg-Haddad, O., & Quanrud, D. M. (2021). Inter-basin water transfer. In Water Resources: Future Perspectives, Challenges, Concepts, and Necessities(pp 15-32). IWA Publishing, London, UK. doi:10.2166/9781789062144_0015
  More info

  Providing water to satisfy human demands is one of the greatest challenges of the present century and has been the source of many changes in the world. Since the amount of renewable water the Earth receives is only equal to, or even less than, that received many years ago, renewable water per capita decreases as human population increases. Inter-basin water transfer is a method to augment supply in water-scarce regions. Increasing demand for water in some areas sometimes justifies the transfer of water from one basin to another. Water consumption in densely populated cities and in large industrial and agricultural operations produces an economic value that justifies the cost of expensive water transport equipment and infrastructure such as transmission channels, pipelines, pumping stations and dams. Under these conditions, water that is not in high demand in one basin is transferred to another basin for use. These projects are supply-driven engineering solutions to major social challenges. Inter-basin water transmission is carried out across local, regional, national, and international boundaries to overcome water scarcity, to meet demand in the agricultural, industrial and domestic sectors as well as to achieve economic and social development. Inter-basin transfer (IBT) is an important water resource management tool that can have significant impacts on the donor and recipient basins. This chapter aims to provide insights into the concepts, logics, methods and tools used to evaluate inter-basin transfer projects. Challenges that may arise with implementation of such projects and management methods to overcome these challenges are reviewed. Several case study examples of existing projects are presented to provide insight into how to better manage such projects in the future.

Journals/Publications

• Mart'inez, V., Lee, D., Alyami, I., Zimila, H., Bautista, F., Fuentes, A., L'opez, M. J., Valencia, G., Quanrud, D., Arnold, R. G., & others, . (2025). TRACE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND PHOTOSENSITIZING ACTIVITY IN SALVADORAN SURFACE AND TAP WATER SOURCES: A FIRST LOOK. Environmental Pollution, 125622.
• Lee, D., Runkel, R. L., Alyami, I., Zimila, H., Quanrud, D., Paretti, N., Cederberg, J., Arnold, R., & Saez, E. (2024). Significance of Photolysis in the In-stream Attenuation of Trace Organic Compounds. AGU24.
• Martinez, V., Lee, D., Alyami, I., Zimila, H., Bautista, F., Fuentes, A., L'opez, M. J., Valencia, G., L'opez, M., Quanrud, D., Arnold, R., & Saez, E. (2024). Contaminaci'on del agua en El Salvador: Evaluaci'on de la calidad del agua de los r'ios y estudio preliminar de la presencia de contaminantes org'anicos emergentes. ECA: Estudios Centroamericanos, 78(775).
• Williams, S. A., Megdal, S. B., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Quanrud, D. M., & Christopherson, G. (2024). Equity Assessment of Groundwater Vulnerability and Risk in Drinking Water Supplies in Arid Regions.. Water (20734441), 16(23).
• Williams, S. A., Megdal, S. B., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Quanrud, D. M., & Christopherson, G. (2024). Mapping Groundwater Vulnerability in Arid Regions: A Comparative Risk Assessment Using Modified DRASTIC Models, Land Use, and Climate Change Factors. Land, 14(1), 58.
• Hamdhani, H., Eppehimer, D., Quanrud, D. M., & Bogan, M. (2021). Seasonal and longitudinal water quality dynamics in three effluent-dependent rivers in Arizona. TBD.
• Quanrud, D. M., Vafai, H. A., & Parivar, P. (2020). Framework of Urban Ecological Sustainability Indicators in Drylands. Science, Health, Engineering Policy and Diplomacy; Sustainable Development for the Americas.
• Eppehimer, D. E., Hamdhani, H., Hollien, K. D., Nemec, Z. C., Lee, L. N., Quanrud, D. M., & Bogan, M. T. (2021). Impacts of baseflow and flooding on microplastic pollution in an effluent-dependent arid land river in the USA.. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 45375-45389. doi:10.1007/s11356-021-13724-w
  More info

  Effluent discharge from wastewater treatment plants can be a substantial source of microplastics in receiving water bodies including rivers. Despite growing concern about microplastic pollution in freshwater habitats, the literature has not yet addressed effluent-dependent rivers, which derive 100% of their baseflow from effluent. The objective of this study was to document and explore trends in microplastic pollution within the effluent-dependent lower Santa Cruz River near Tucson, Arizona (USA). We examined microplastic concentrations in the water column and benthic sediment and microplastic consumption by mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) at 10 sites along a ~40 km stretch of the lower Santa Cruz River across two time periods: baseflow (effluent only) and post-flood (effluent immediately following urban runoff). In total, across both sampling periods, we detected microplastics in 95% of water column samples, 99% of sediment samples, and 6% of mosquitofish stomachs. Flow status (baseflow vs post-flood) was the only significant predictor of microplastic presence and concentrations in our models. Microplastic fragment concentrations in the water column were higher post-flood, microplastic fiber concentrations in benthic sediment were lower post-flood, and mosquitofish were more likely to have consumed microplastics post-flood than during baseflow. The additional microplastics detected after flooding was likely due to a combination of allochthonous material entering the channel via runoff and bed scour that exhumed microplastics previously buried in the riverbed. Effluent-dependent urban streams are becoming increasingly common; more work is needed to identify microplastic pollution baselines and trends in effluent rivers worldwide.
• Parivar, P., Quanrud, D. M., Sotoudeh, A., & Abolhasani, M. (2020). Evaluation of Urban Ecological Sustainability in Arid Lands (Case Study: Yazd-Iran). Sustainable Cities and Society.
• Parivar, P., Quanrud, D. M., Sotoudeh, A., & Abolhasani, M. (2021). Evaluation of urban ecological sustainability in arid lands (case study: Yazd-Iran). Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23(2), 2797-2826. doi:10.1007/s10668-020-00637-w
  More info

  Nowadays, the world is facing rapid urbanization and increasing desertification. Therefore, urban planning in these regions should be based on comprehensive understanding of the constraints and vulnerabilities of arid lands. In this study, the sustainability condition of a rapidly growing city in a dry landscape, Yazd, Iran, was assessed using a previously developed framework. The framework is based on the conceptual principle of close relations between structure and function and is comprised of three main components and 16 metrics. By evaluating the status and trends of these metrics, and using the analytical hierarchy process method, the score of Yazd sustainability was determined as 0.28 out of 1.0, indicating the city is far from a state of sustainability. Current urban development policies in this region exacerbate unstable conditions. Given the constraints on achieving urban sustainability in arid regions, physical urban development should be aligned with local ecological potential. In the process of urban growth, local knowledge and ecological values in these areas must be protected. Applying this sustainability assessment process in other dryland cities will improve this evaluative framework and help achieve rational principles for sustainable urban development strategies in arid lands.
• Dong, B., Kahl, A., Cheng, L., Vo, H., Ruehl, S., Zhang, T., Snyder, S. A., Saez, A. E., Quanrud, D. M., & Arnold, R. G. (2014). Fate of Trace Organics in a Wastewater Effluent Dependent Stream. Science of the Total Environment.
• Cheng, L., Zhang, T., Hao, V. o., Diaz, D., Quanrud, D., Arnold, R. G., & Saez, A. E. (2017). Effectiveness of Engineered and Natural Wastewater Treatment Processes for the Removal of Trace Organics in Water Reuse. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, 143(7).
• Saez, A. E., Arnold, R. G., Quanrud, D. M., Vo, H., & Cheng, L. (2017). Effectiveness of engineered and natural wastewater treatment processes for the removal of trace organics in water reuse. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 143, 1-18.
• Dong, B., Kahl, A., Cheng, L., Vo, H., Ruehl, S., Zhang, T., Snyder, S., Saez, A. E., Quanrud, D., & Arnold, R. G. (2015). Fate of trace organics in a wastewater effluent dependent stream. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, 518, 479-490.
• Dong, B., Saez, E. A., Quanrud, D., & Arnold, R. G. (2012). Fate of estrogenic/androgenic activity and estrogen/androgen mimics during sludge digestion. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 243.
• Edward, F. T., James, G. L., Quanrud, D. M., Sondra, T., Stephen, W. L., Kathleen, E., Jeremy, M., Ela, W. P., Stephen, Z. D., Patrick, P. J., & Beverley, S. (2012). Pharmaceuticals, hormones, anthropogenic waste indicators, and total estrogenicity in liquid and solid samples from municipal sludge stabilization. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report: 2011-1132, 8.
• Furlong, E., Gray, J., Quanrud, D., Teske, S., Werner, S., Esposito, K., Marine, J., Ela, W., Zaugg, S., Phillips, P., & Stinson, B. (2011). Pharmaceuticals, hormones, anthropogenic waste indicators, and total estrogenicity in liquid and solid samples from municipal sludge stabilization. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report.
  More info

  Not sure how to record this number not really a volume (2011-1132) year and report number
• Santamaria, J., Quinonez-Diaz, M., LeMond, L., Arnold, R. G., Quanrud, D., Gerba, C., & Brusseau, M. L. (2011). Transport of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in sandy soil: Impact of length scale. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING, 13(12), 3481-3484.
• Santamaria, J., Quinonez-Diaz, M., LeMond, L., Arnold, R., Quanrud, D., Gerba, C., & Brusseau, M. (2011). Transport of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in sandy soil: impact of length scale. Journal of Environmental Monitoring., 13, 3481-3484.
• Zerzghi, H., Leung, C., Quanrud, D. M., Pepper, I. L., & Gerba, C. P. (2011). Fate of Endocrine Disruptors Following Long-Term Land Application of Class B Biosolids and Risks to Public Health. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 2011(4), 420-435. doi:10.2175/193864711802863201
• Teske, S. S., Stinson, B., Quanrud, D. M., Phillips, P. J., Marine, J., Kolpin, D. W., Gray, J. L., Furlong, E. T., Esposito, K., & Ela, W. P. (2010). The Estrogenicity of Biosolids in Four Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Plants in the United States. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 2010(15), 2236-2240. doi:10.2175/193864710798159354
• Zhang, J., Tomanek, M., Saez, A. E., Quanrud, D. M., Ela, W. P., Dong, H., & Arnold, R. G. (2008). Fate of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, Nonylphenol, and Estrogenic Activity during Managed Infiltration of Wastewater Effluent. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 134(6), 433-442. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9372(2008)134:6(433)
  More info

  About a billion cubic meters of wastewater effluent are artificially recharged annually in the United States for maintenance of groundwater levels and prevention of seawater intrusion. There is concern that trace contaminants, including various endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), are not completely removed during infiltration, leading to deterioration of groundwater quality. In this work, we investigate the mechanisms and efficiency of EDC removal at the Sweetwater Recharge Facility, which is used to recharge secondary effluent from the Roger Road Wastewater Treatment Plant in Tucson, Ariz. Material was collected from the top meter of sediments in two infiltration basins and analyzed for extractable nonylphenol (NP), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and total estrogenic activity. The basins differed significantly in length of service (7 versus 15 years). Nevertheless, profiles of extractable contaminants and estrogenic activity were similar in the two basins. Results suggest that hydrophobic deter...
• Zhang, J., Tomanek, M., Teske, S. S., Saez, A. E., Quanrud, D. M., Leung, C., Engstrom, J., Ela, W. P., Banihani, Q., & Arnold, R. G. (2008). Fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers during wastewater treatment/polishing and sludge stabilization/disposal.. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1140(1), 394-411. doi:10.1196/annals.1454.012
  More info

  Large quantities of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used as flame retardants in clothing and plastic products since the 1970s. A small fraction of the PBDEs in manufactured products subsequently enters municipal wastewater. Nevertheless, the resistance of these compounds to chemical and biochemical transformations provides opportunities for accumulation in sediments that are in contact with wastewater effluent and agricultural soils that are amended with biosolids derived from wastewater treatment. Balances developed for PBDE congeners indicate that conventional wastewater treatment processes and soil infiltration of treated wastewater in recharge operations do not discriminate significantly among the major congeners in commercially available PBDE products. Accumulation of PBDEs at near part-per-million levels was measured in the surface sediments at the Sweetwater Recharge Facility in Tucson, Arizona, during 10-15 years of operation. Half-lives for loss of major PBDE congeners from sediments were decades or longer. Local agricultural soils amended with biosolids over a 20-year period showed similar accumulation of PBDEs. The widespread use of PBDEs in commercial products, compound persistence, and toxicity indicate that additional effort is warranted to better understand fate-determining processes for PBDEs in the environment.
• Saez, A. E., Quanrud, D. M., Ela, W. P., Conroy, O., & Arnold, R. G. (2007). Changes in estrogen/anti-estrogen activities in ponded secondary effluent.. The Science of the total environment, 382(2-3), 311-23. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.04.033
  More info

  Total estrogenic activity, measured using the yeast estrogen screen reporter gene bioassay, decreased from 60 pM (equivalent 17alpha-ethinylestradiol concentration) to an estimated 1.4 pM during a 24-hour period in which secondary effluent was held in a shallow infiltration basin. Over the same period, anti-estrogenic activity, measured as an equivalent concentration of tamoxifen, increased from 35 to 260 nM, suggesting that antagonists produced during secondary effluent storage played a role in the apparent loss of estrogenic activity. Androgenic activity, measured over the same 24-hour period using the yeast androgen screen, was near or below the method detection limit (0.7 pM as testosterone). However, the same pond samples were clearly anti-androgenic. When whole-sample extracts were separated via adsorption and stepwise elution in alcohol/water solutions consisting of 20, 40 and 100% ethanol, the sum of estrogenic activities in derived fractions was always lower than the measured estrogenic activity in the whole-sample extracts. Summed anti-estrogenic activities in the same fractions, however, always exceeded values for corresponding whole-sample extracts. Results reinforce the importance of sample preparation steps (concentration of organics followed by estrogen/anti-estrogen separation) when measuring endocrine-related activities in chemically complex samples such as wastewater effluent. The potential complexity of relationships among estrogens, anti-estrogens and matrix organics suggests that additive models are of questionable validity for estimating whole-sample estrogenic activity from measurements involving sample fractions.
• Westerhoff, P. K., Quanrud, D. M., Drewes, J. E., & Amy, G. L. (2006). Character of organic matter in soil-aquifer treatment systems. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 132(11), 1447-1458. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9372(2006)132:11(1447)
  More info

  The objective of this study was to investigate the character and fate of bulk organics in reclaimed water used for groundwater recharge via soil-aquifer treatment (SAT). The study design followed a watershed guided approach considering hydraulically corresponding samples of drinking water sources, SAT-applied wastewater effluents, and subsequent post-SAT samples representing a series of different travel times in the subsurface. Water samples were fractionated into hydrophobic acids, transphilic acids, and hydrophilic carbon using a XAD resin-based protocol. Extensive characterization of organic carbon in the different samples was performed using state-of-the-art analytical techniques including excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( C-NMR 13 ) , Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and elemental analysis. During SAT, transphilic and hydrophilic organic matter were preferentially removed. The results...
• Wicke, D., Quanrud, D. M., Otakuye, C., Lansey, K. E., Ela, W. P., Conroy, O., & Arnold, R. G. (2005). Fate of wastewater effluent hER-agonists and hER-antagonists during soil aquifer treatment.. Environmental science & technology, 39(7), 2287-93. doi:10.1021/es049490b
  More info

  Estrogen activity was measured in wastewater effluent before and after polishing via soil-aquifer treatment (SAT) using both a (hER-beta) competitive binding assay and a transcriptional activation (yeast estrogen screen, YES) assay. From the competitive binding assay, the equivalent 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) concentration in secondary effluent was 4.7 nM but decreased to 0.22 nM following SAT. The YES assay indicated that the equivalent EE2 concentration in the same effluent sample was below the method-detection limit (
• Karpiscak, M. M., Ela, W. P., Quast, K. W., Quanrud, D. M., Lansey, K. E., Karpiscak, M. M., Gerba, C. P., Ela, W. P., Conroy, O., & Arnold, R. G. (2004). Estrogenic activity and volume fraction of waste water origin in monitoring wells along the Santa Cruz River, Arizona. Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation, 24(2), 86-93. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6592.2004.tb00716.x
  More info

  The fate of estrogenic activity in waste water effluent was examined during surface transport and incidental recharge along the Santa Cruz River in Pima County, Arizona. Based on measurement of boron isotopes, the fractional contribution of reclaimed water in surface waters and ground water wells proximate to the river was determined for a contemporary sample set. Estrogenic activity decreased by −60% over the 25 mi length of the river below effluent discharge points in Tucson. In ground water samples obtained from monitoring wells that are proximate to the Santa Cruz River, both dissolved organic carbon (p= 0.0003) and estrogenic activity (p= 3 × 10−6) were highly correlated to fractional waste water content. Results indicate that proximate ground water quality is sensitive to incidental recharge of reclaimed water in the Santa Cruz River bed. In a few locations, little attenuation of estrogenic activity was apparent during percolation of effluent in the river channel to well withdrawal points.
• Karpiscak, M. M., Quanrud, D. M., Lansey, K. E., Karpiscak, M. M., & Arnold, R. G. (2004). Transformation of effluent organic matter during subsurface wetland treatment in the Sonoran Desert.. Chemosphere, 54(6), 777-88. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2003.08.020
  More info

  The fate of dissolved organic matter (DOM) during subsurface wetland treatment of wastewater effluent in a hot, semi-arid environment was examined. The study objectives were to (1) discern changes in the character of dissolved organics as consequence of wetland treatment (2) establish the nature of wetland-derived organic matter, and (3) investigate the impact of wetland treatment on the formation potential of trihalomethanes (THMs). Subsurface wetland treatment produced little change in DOM polarity (hydrophobic-hydrophilic) distribution. Biodegradation of labile effluent organic matter (EfOM) and internal loading of wetland-derived natural organic matter (NOM) together produced only minor changes in the distribution of carbon moieties in hydrophobic acid (HPO-A) and transphilic acid (TPI-A) isolates of wetland effluent. Aliphatic carbon decreased as a percentage of total carbon during wetland treatment. The ratio of atomic C:N in wetland-derived NOM suggests that its character is determined by microbial activity. Formation of THMs upon chlorination of HPO-A and TPI-A isolates increased as a consequence of wetland treatment. Wetland-derived NOM was more reactive in forming THMs and less biodegradable than EfOM. For both HPO-A and TPI-A fractions, relationships between biodegradability and THM formation potential were similar among EfOM and NOM isolates; the less biodegradable isolates exhibited greater THM formation potential.
• Gandolfi, A. J., Ela, W. P., Quanrud, D. M., Lansey, K. E., Gandolfi, A. J., Ela, W. P., Begay, C. K., & Arnold, R. G. (2003). Fate of effluent organic matter during soil aquifer treatment: biodegradability, chlorine reactivity and genotoxicity.. Journal of Water and Health, 1(1), 33-44. doi:10.2166/wh.2003.0005
  More info

  Hydrophobic acid (HPO-A) and transphilic acid (TPI-A) fractions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were isolated from a domestic secondary wastewater effluent that was polished via soil aquifer treatment (SAT). Fractions were isolated using XAD resin adsorption chromatography from samples obtained along the vadose zone flowpath at a full-scale basin recharge facility in Tucson, Arizona. Changes in isolate character during SAT were established via biodegradability (batch test), specific ultraviolet light absorbance (SUVA), trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP), and Ames mutagenicity assays. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration decreased by >90% during SAT. A significant fraction (up to 20%) of isolated post-SAT HPO-A was biodegradable. The (apparent) refractory nature of DOM that survives SAT may be a consequence of low DOC concentration in groundwater as well as the nature of the compounds themselves. Specific THMFP (g THM per mg DOC) of HPO-A and TPI-A varied little as a consequence of SAT, averaging 52 and 49 g THM per mg DOC, respectively. The nonbiodegradable fractions of HPO-A and TPI-A exhibited higher reactivities: 89 and 95 g THM per mg DOC, respectively. Genotoxicity of HPO-A (on a per mass basis) increased after SAT, suggesting that responsible compounds are removed less efficiently than bulk organics
• Karpiscak, M. M., Zhang, J., Quanrud, D. M., Lansey, K. E., Karpiscak, M. M., Hafer, J., & Arnold, R. G. (2003). Fate of organics during soil-aquifer treatment: sustainability of removals in the field.. Water research, 37(14), 3401-11. doi:10.1016/s0043-1354(02)00489-x
  More info

  A 5-year program of study was conducted at the Sweetwater Recharge Facilities (SRF) to assess the performance of surface spreading operations for organics attenuation during field-scale soil-aquifer treatment (SAT) of municipal wastewater. Studies were conducted utilizing both mature (approximately 10 yr old) and new infiltration basins. Removals of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were robust, averaging >90 percent during percolation through the local 37-m vadose zone. The hydrophilic (most polar) fraction of DOC was preferentially removed during SAT; removals were attributed primarily to biodegradation. Reductions in trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) averaged 91 percent across the vadose zone profile. The reactivity (specific THMFP) of post-SAT organic residuals with chlorine decreased slightly from pre-SAT levels (60 vs. 72 microg THM per mg DOC, respectively). Variations in the duration of wetting/drying periods did not significantly impact organic removal efficiencies.
• Quanrud, D. M., Gerba, C. P., Carroll, S. M., & Arnold, R. G. (2003). Virus removal during simulated soil-aquifer treatment.. Water research, 37(4), 753-62. doi:10.1016/s0043-1354(02)00393-7
  More info

  Removals of indigenous coliphage and seeded poliovirus type 1 during simulated soil-aquifer treatment were evaluated during transport of secondary effluent under unsaturated flow conditions in 1-m soil columns. Independent variables included soil type (river sand or sandy loam) and infiltration rate. Removal of coliphage was in all cases less than removal of poliovirus type 1 (strain LSc-2ab), supporting contentions that indigenous coliphage can act as a conservative indicator of groundwater contamination by viral pathogens of human origin. Coliphage retention was significantly more efficient (p
• Karpiscak, M. M., Quanrud, D. M., Lansey, K. E., Karpiscak, M. M., & Arnold, R. G. (2001). Behavior of organic carbon during subsurface wetland treatment in the Sonoran Desert. Water Science and Technology, 44(11-12), 267-272. doi:10.2166/wst.2001.0839
  More info

  We examined the fate of organics during wetland treatment of secondary effluent and groundwater (control) flows in parallel, research-scale, subsurface-flow (SSF) wetland raceways at the Constructed Ecosystem Research Facility (CERF) located in Tucson, Arizona. The CERF facility enabled us to distinguish experimentally among effects on effluent quality due to season-dependent processes of evapotranspiration (ET) and wetlands-derived production of organics. Organics of wastewater and wetlands origin were compared in terms of their contributions to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in wetland effluent. Elevated temperatures and associated biochemical activities increased DOC levels in wetland effluents during summer. In other words, DOC removal efficiency was negatively correlated to temperature. The contributions of ET and wetland-derived organics to elevation of DOC in wetland effluents during summer were roughly comparable. The elevation of organic carbon concentration during wetland polishing of wastewater effluent will lead to higher levels of disinfection by-products when treated waters are chlorinated prior to reuse. Results of this work are relevant to water managers in arid regions, which may incorporate wetlands into sequential wastewater treatments leading to potable reuse of reclaimed water.
• Wilson, L. G., Quanrud, D. M., Conklin, M. H., & Arnold, R. G. (1996). Effect of soil type on water quality improvement during soil aquifer treatment. Water Science and Technology, 33(10-11), 419-431. doi:10.1016/0273-1223(96)00445-3
  More info

  Bench-scale soil column experiments were performed at The University of Arizona to examine the effects of soil type and infiltration rate on the removal of wastewater organics during soil aquifer treatment (SAT). The suitability of such waters for potable uses following a combination of above-ground treatments and SAT polishing was under investigation. SAT was simulated in 1-meter soil columns containing repacked homogenized soils ranging from poorly graded sands to silty sands. Soils were obtained from existing and potential effluent recharge sites in Arizona. All columns received chlorinated/dechlorinated secondary effluent, ponded to a 25-cm depth above the soil surface, under alternating wet/dry conditions. Treatment efficiencies in biologically active and inhibited columns were compared to determine the mechanism(s) of water quality improvements and the sustainability of SAT. Water quality parameters included: (i) non-purgable dissolved organic carbon and (ii) UV absorbance at 254 nm (used as a measure of disinfection-by-product precursors). Differences in through-column removal of non-purgable dissolved organic carbon were significant for columns containing sandy loam (56%), sand (48%) and silty sand (44%). Removal of UV-absorbing organics was not significantly different for columns containing sand and sandy loam (22 and 20%, respectively). There was no significant correlation between infiltration rate and removal efficiency of either organic parameter for both soils.
• Wilson, L. G., Quanrud, D. M., Graham, D. W., Gordon, H. J., Arnold, R. G., & Amy, G. L. (1996). Fate of organics during column studies of soil aquifer treatment. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 122(4), 314-321. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9372(1996)122:4(314)
  More info

  Soil column experiments were performed to differentiate between abiotic and biological mechanisms for removal of residual organics from chlorinated municipal effluent during soil aquifer treatment (SAT) and to relate SAT efficiency to degree of wastewater treatment. Three water-quality parameters were examined: dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet (UV) absorbance at 254 nm (UVA 254 ), and adsorbable organic halide (AOX). Secondary and tertiary-treated effluents were applied to 1-m unsaturated columns containing soils from the Sweetwater Underground Storage and Recovery Facility, Tucson, Ariz. DOC was removed primarily by biological activity during SAT. Through-column removal using chlorinated secondary effluent averaged 48%. UVA 254 reductions were dependent on biological and abiotic removal mechanisms. Aerobic biological activity did not contribute significantly to AOX removal. Through-column reductions for UVA 254 and AOX from secondary effluent averaged 30% and 17%, respectively. Forty-four perc...

Proceedings Publications

• Quanrud, D. M., & Karpiscak, M. (2017, spring). The Constructed Ecosystems Research Facility: a treatment wetland in Arizona. In U.S.-Iran Symposium on Wetlands, 229-238.
• Quanrud, D. M. (2015, June). Role of natural attenuation processes for organics during soil aquifer treatment. In U.S.-Iran Symposium on Resilient Cities.
• Quanrud, D. M. (2015, Summer). Proceedings of the U.S. Iran Symposium on Resilient Cities. In U.S. Iran Symposium on Resilient Cities, 298.
  More info

  Served as executive editor for all 28 papers that were presented at the U.S. Iran Symposium on Resilient Cities, held in Irvine, CA, in June 2014.
• Quanrud, D. M., Parivar, P., Vafai, H. A., & Sehatkashani, S. (2015, 2015-03-29). Resilience thinking for adaptation of cities to climate change. In U.S.-Iran Symposium on Climate Change.
• Quanrud, D. M., Morkin, E., Littlehat, P., Littlehat, J. P., Bahl, J. J., Arnold, R. G., & Adamson, C. (2007). Thyroid Receptor-Mediated Transcriptional Activity in Environmentally Relevant Wastewater. In World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2007, 1-6.

Presentations

• Quanrud, D. M. (2020, April). Everything you always wanted to know about scientific publishing but were afraid to ask. SNRE weekly seminar series, April 8, 2020. Tucson, AZ (virtual on Zoom): SNRE.
• Eppehimer, D., Hollien, K., Hamdhani, H., Quanrud, D. M., & Bogan, M. (2019, November). Microplastic Pollution in an Effluent-dependent River. 2019 Desert Fishes Council Annual Meeting. Alpine TX: Desert Fishes Council.
• Eppehimer, D., Hollien, K., Nemec, Z., Hamdhani, H., Lee, L., Quanrud, D. M., & Bogan, M. (2019, March). A case study on the Santa Cruz River: Can Treated Wastewater Support Desert Fishes?. UA Water Resources Center brown bag seminar. Tucson, AZ: UA Water Resources Research Center.
• Hamdhani, H., Eppehimer, D., Quanrud, D. M., & Bogan, M. (2019, October). Seasonal and longitudinal water quality dynamics in three effluent-dependent rivers in Arizona. 2019 Desert Fishes Council Annual Meeting. Alpine, TX: Desert Fishes Council.
• Marquez, I., Vo, H., Barnett, B., Martinez, V., Rojas, N., Quanrud, D. M., Arnold, R. G., & Saez, A. E. (2019, April). Photo-transformation of Trace Organic Compounds by Singlet Oxygen. Kinetics and Mechanism. 2019 American Chemical Society National Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL: American Chemical Society.
• Parivar, P., Quanrud, D. M., & Vafai, H. A. (2019, October). Framework of urban sustainability indicators in drylands. Sustainable Development for the Americas. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona.
• Quanrud, D. M. (2019, April). Emerging contaminants in surface water and groundwater of the Santa Cruz River, Tumacácori to Tucson. Arizona Hydrological Society Tucson Chapter meeting. Tucson: Arizona Hydrological Society.
  More info

  Invited presentation to the Tucson chapter of the Arizona Hydrological Society, April 2019 monthly meeting. Attended by approximately 30 people.
• Eppehimer, D., Hollien, K., Nemec, Z., Hamdhani, H., Lee, L., Quanrud, D. M., & Bogan, M. (2018, Nov). Implications of Using Treated Wastewater as Habitat for Desert Fishes. 50th annual meeting of the Desert Fishes Council.
• Hamdhani, H., Quanrud, D. M., Eppehimer, D., & Bogan, M. (2018, fall). Effect of diurnal flow variability on water quality dynamics in the effluent dependent Santa Cruz River. 50th annual meeting of the Desert Fishes Council. Death Valley, CA: Desert Fishes Council.
• Hollein, K., Eppehimer, D., Nemec, Z., Hamdhani, ., Lee, L., Quanrud, D. M., & Bogan, M. (2018, fall). Implications of using treated wastewater as habitat for desert fishes. 10th Annual Santa Cruz River Research Days. Tucson, Arizona: Sonoran Institute.
• Quanrud, D. M., & Freeling, F. (2018, fall). Occurrence, fate and relevance of emerging contaminants in the upper Santa Cruz River at Tumacacori National Historical Park. 10th Annual Santa Cruz River Research Days. Tucson, AZ: Sonoran Institute.
• Quanrud, D. M., Bogan, M., Hamdhani, ., & Eppehimer, D. (2018, fall). Effect of diurnal flow variability on water quality dynamics in the effluent dependent Santa Cruz River. 10th Annual Santa Cruz River Research Days. Tucson, AZ: Sonoran Institute.
• Arnold, R. G., & Quanrud, D. M. (2017, May). Soil-aquifer polishing of secondary effluent leading to water reuse in Tucson, Arizona. Workshop on Water Reuse. Recife, Brazil: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco and University of Arizona.
• Hao, V., Saez, A. E., Quanrud, D. M., & Arnold, R. G. (2017, April). Kinetic modeling of sunlight-assisted degradation of trace organic substances. 253rd ACS National Meeting. San Francisco, California: American Chemical Society.
• Quanrud, D. M. (2015, March). Fate of trace organic contaminants in the Lower Santa Cruz River. Friends of the Santa Cruz River Research Days 2015. Tucson, AZ: Sonoran Institute.
• Quanrud, D. M., Parivar, P., & Vafai, H. A. (2015, spring). Resilience thinking for adaptation of cities to climate change. U.S.-Iran Symposium on Climate Change. Irvine, CA: U.S. National Acadamy of Science.
• Quanrud, D. M. (2014, October). Emerging Contaminants: Fate During Wastewater Treatment and Strategies to Enhance Removal. New Directions in Wastewater Treatment Workshop. Phoenix, AZ: Arizona Water Association.
  More info

  This invited seminar provided an overview of research findings on emerging contaminant (EC) removal at municipal wastewater treatment facilities in Arizona and elsewhere. Results from a WERF-funded study focused on fate of estrogenic compounds during the solids phase of treatment were presented. Strategies to optimize EC removal during conventional treatment processes and an overview of advanced treatment technologies that can be used if stringent EC removal requirements are implemented in the future were provided.
• Quanrud, D. M. (2013, March). Fate of emerging contaminants along the Lower Santa Cruz River, Arizona. Santa Cruz River Researchers Day 2013. Arizona Sonora Desert Museum: Friends of the Santa Cruz River.
• Quanrud, D. M., Kahl, A., ArnoldB, ., Rojas, M., QuanrudD, ., ChoroverJ, ., AbrellL, ., KahlA, ., Jones, D., LaughlinA, ., Cheng, L., WangN, ., & ArnoldC, . (2013). Natural attenuation of emerging contaminants in streams. The Evolution of Southwestern Water Challenges, ACS National Meeting. San Diego, CA.
• Quanrud, D. (2012, April). ABCs of Endocrine disrupting compounds and other emerging contaminants. Emerging Issues in Water Quality, Chemical and Environmental Engineering 525University of Arizona.
• Quanrud, D. (2012, August). Birds, Wildlife, and Water Quality. Tucson Bird and Wildlife Festival. Tucson Audubon Societ. Tucson, AZ.
• Quanrud, D. (2012, Spring). Fate of emerging contaminants along the lower Santa Cruz River, Arizona. Friends of the Santa Cruz River Researcher's Day. Tucson, AZ.
• Quanrud, D., & Jones, D. (2012, May). The Fate of Trace Organic Contaminants in the Lower Santa Cruz River Watershed. 85th Annual Arizona Water Association Annual Conference. Glendale, AZ: Arizona Water Association.
• Quanrud, D., Arnold, B., Saez, E., & Snyder, S. (2012). Water Quality Research in Northwest Pima County. Presentation to Town of Marana Utilities Department. Marana, AZ.
• Quanrud, D. (2011). EDCs in biosolids: occurrence and implications. Arizona Water Association Annual Conference. Glendale, AZ.
• Quanrud, D. (2011). PFOS Perfluorooctane sulfonate: sources to the Tucson Aquifer. Presentation to Tucson Water technical staff.. Tucson, AZ.

Poster Presentations

• Quanrud, D. M., Saez, A. E., Arnold, R. G., Martinez, V., Castella, K., Rojas, N., Lee, D., Weiler, C., & Barnett, B. (2020, January). Degradation of trace organic compounds in wastewater effleunt via indirect photolysis. UA Student Showcase 2020. University of Arizona: Graduate and Professional Student Council.
• Quanrud, D. M., Freeling, F., & Filippone, C. (2017, March). Fate of contaminants of emerging concern in the Upper Santa Cruz River. CALS Poster ForumUA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
• Kornrumph, G., & Quanrud, D. M. (2015, spring). Impacts on Groundwater Quality at the Sweetwater Recharge Facilities Associated with an Improved Effluent Source Water. El Dia del Agua. UA Student Union: UA Dept of Hydrology.
• Quanrud, D. M. (2014, November). Fate of trace organic contaminants in an effluent dependent stream. CALS Poster Forum. UA Student Union: CALS.
  More info

  Poster Abstract:Municipal wastewater contains an array of trace organic contaminants (TOrCs), including pharmaceuticals, personal care products and other chemicals, some of which are also classified as endocrine disrupting compounds. Conventional wastewater treatment can removal some but not all TOrCs. This study focused on the fate of TOrCs and estrogenic activity along a 36-km reach of the Lower Santa Cruz River (SCR) that receives effluent discharge from two municipal wastewater reclamation facilities in Tucson, Arizona. Sampling campaigns were performed during 2011 to 2013 in which estrogenic activity and a suite of TOrCs were measured in the SCR. Several TOrCs, including those that contribute to estrogenic activity, were found to be rapidly attenuated with distance and time of travel in the SCR. Independent experiments indicated that indirect photolysis may be an important natural attenuation mechanism for estrogenic compounds during river transport.
• Alandra, K., Jones, D., Quanrud, D., Abrell, L., Arnold, B., & SnyderS, . (2012, November). Tracking trace organics in the Santa Cruz River. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Boston, Massachusetts.
• Alandra, K., Jones, D., Wickramasekara, S., Arnold, B., AbrellL, ., Chorover, J., Quanrud, D., & SnyderS, . (2012, August). Trace Organics in the Tucson Basin-Natural Attenuation Mechanisms. CHEE 5th Annual Graduate Research Symposium. Tucson, AZ.

Others

• Quanrud, D. M., & Arnold, R. G. (2017, May). Sunlight driven reactive oxygen species production for natural attenuation of wastewater trace organic compounds. Project Final Report to sponsor (NIWR).
  More info

  Final report to project sponsor, National Institutes for Water Resources
• Quanrud, D. M., Saez, A. E., & Arnold, R. G. (2013, June). Fate and toxicity of emerging contaminants in effluent-dependent streams. Final project report.
  More info

  Project results provided the first information concerning toxicity, including estrogenic and androgenic measurements derived from liquid and solid-phase associated trace organic contaminants in sources and sinks in the lower Santa Cruz River. Project was funded by Water, Environmental and Energy Solutions (WEES) program.
• Quanrud, D. M., Snyder, S. A., Arnold, R. G., & Saez, A. E. (2013, May). Fate of Emerging Contaminants in an Effluent Dependent Stream: the Role of Suspended Solids and Sediments. Final project report. http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/2012grants/2012AZ492B.html
  More info

  This project evaluated the toxicity and endocrine disruption activity associated with trace organic contaminants occurring in solid phase sources and sinks in an effluent dependent stream near Tucson, Arizona.
• Furlong, E., Gray, J., Quanrud, D., Teske, S., Esposito, K., Marine, J., Ela, W., Stinson, B., Phillips, P., & Kolin, D. (2010, Fall). Fate of Estrogenic Compounds during Municipal Sludge Stabilization and Dewatering. Final Report to the Water Environment Research Foundation.
  More info

  pgs 1-178