title: Behavior of nine selected emerging trace organic contaminants in an artificial recharge system supplemented with a reactive barrier.
abstract: Artificial recharge improves several water quality parameters, but has only minor effects on recalcitrant pollutants. To improve the removal of these pollutants, we added a reactive barrier at the bottom of an infiltration basin. This barrier contained aquifer sand, vegetable compost, and clay and was covered with iron oxide dust. The goal of the compost was to sorb neutral compounds and release dissolved organic carbon. The release of dissolved organic carbon should generate a broad range of redox conditions to promote the transformation of emerging trace organic contaminants (EOCs). Iron oxides and clay increase the range of sorption site types. In the present study, we examined the effectiveness of this barrier by analyzing the fate of nine EOCs. Water quality was monitored before and after constructing the reactive barrier. Installation of the reactive barrier led to nitrate-, iron-, and manganese-reducing conditions in the unsaturated zone below the basin and within the first few meters of the saturated zone. Thus, the behavior of most EOCs changed after installing the reactive barrier. The reactive barrier enhanced the removal of some EOCs, either markedly (sulfamethoxazole, caffeine, benzoylecgonine) or slightly (trimethoprim) and decreased the removal rates of compounds that are easily degradable under aerobic conditions (ibuprofen, paracetamol). The barrier had no remarkable effect on 1H-benzotriazole and tolyltriazole.
authors.affiliation: GHS Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain, cvalhondo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Valhondo
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrera
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ayora
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nödler
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Licha
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huerta
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry; D007477:Ions; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013997:Time Factors; D014240:Trichloroethanes / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D014240:Trichloroethanes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002244:Carbon