title: Monitoring the occurrence of emerging contaminants in treated wastewater and groundwater between 2008 and 2010. The Baix Llobregat (Barcelona, Spain).
abstract: The occurrence of 166 emerging compounds and four heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Hg and Pb) in treated wastewater and groundwater has been monitored at the Llobregat delta (Barcelona, Spain) over a period of 3 years. Selected compounds were pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PCPs), dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and priority substances included in the 2008/105/CE Directive. Analysis was performed in tertiary treated wastewater (TWW), after an additional treatment of ultrafiltration reverse osmosis and UV disinfection, and groundwater from a deep confined aquifer. This aquifer is artificially recharged with TWW through injection wells. After the advanced treatment, 38 pharmaceuticals, 9 PCPs, 9 pesticides and 7 PAHs still showed a frequency of detection higher than 25% in the TWW, although at low concentration levels (ng/l). Not all active compounds found in the TWW were present in groundwater, indicating possible degradation within the aquifer media after the injection. A number of chemicals, mainly 10 pesticides and 10 pharmaceuticals were only present in groundwater samples, confirming a different origin than the injected TWW, probably agricultural activities and/or infiltration of poorly treated wastewater.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geotechnical Engineering and Geoscience, Technical University of Catalonia-UPC, Gran Capitán s.n., 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cabeza
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Candela
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ronen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Teijon
mesh_terms: D003358:Cosmetics / Q000032:analysis; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D060587:Groundwater / Q000032:analysis*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D013030:Spain; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics; D004147:Dioxins; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D010575:Pesticides; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical