title: Characterizing redox conditions and monitoring attenuation of selected pharmaceuticals during artificial recharge through a reactive layer.
abstract: A permeable reactive layer was installed at the floor of an infiltration basin. The reactive layer comprised 1) vegetable compost to provide a sorption surface for neutral organic compounds and to release easily degradable organic matter, thus generating a sequence of redox states, and 2) minor amounts of clay and iron oxide to increase sorption of cationic and anionic species, respectively. Field application of this design was successful in generating denitrification, and manganese-, and iron-reducing conditions beneath the basin. This, together with the increase in types of sorption sites, may explain the improved removal of three of the four selected pharmaceuticals compared with their behavior prior to installation of the layer. After installation of the reactive layer, atenolol concentrations were below the detection limits in the vadose zone. Moreover, concentrations of gemfibrozil and cetirizine were reduced to 20% and 40% of their initial concentrations, respectively, after 200 h of residence time. In contrast, prior to installation of the reactive layer, the concentrations of these three pharmaceuticals in both the vadose zone and the aquifer were more than 60% of the initial concentration. Carbamazepine exhibited recalcitrant behavior both prior to and after the reactive barrier installation.
authors.affiliation: GHS (UPC-CSIC), Dept Geotechnical Engineering and Geosciences, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona Tech, (UPC), Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; GHS (UPC-CSIC), Dept Geosciences, Institute of Environmental Assessment & Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Valhondo
authors.affiliation: GHS (UPC-CSIC), Dept Geosciences, Institute of Environmental Assessment & Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrera
authors.affiliation: GHS (UPC-CSIC), Dept Geosciences, Institute of Environmental Assessment & Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ayora
authors.affiliation: GHS (UPC-CSIC), Dept Geotechnical Engineering and Geosciences, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona Tech, (UPC), Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tubau
authors.affiliation: GHS (UPC-CSIC), Dept Geotechnical Engineering and Geosciences, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona Tech, (UPC), Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Lurdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martinez-Landa
authors.affiliation: Geoscience Center of the University of Göttingen, Department Applied Geology, Goldschmidtstrasse 3, 37007 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nödler
authors.affiliation: Geoscience Center of the University of Göttingen, Department Applied Geology, Goldschmidtstrasse 3, 37007 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Licha
mesh_terms: D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Artificial recharge of aquifers; Contaminant attenuation; Field-scale observations; Pharmaceutically active compounds; Reactive barrier; Redox condition; Soil aquifer treatment