title: Transport of sewage molecular markers through saturated soil column and effect of easily biodegradable primary substrate on their removal.
abstract: Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and artificial sweeteners (ASs) are emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in the aquatic environment. The presence of PPCPs and ASs in water bodies has an ecologic potential risk and health concern. Therefore, it is needed to detect the pollution sources by understanding the transport behavior of sewage molecular markers in a subsurface area. The aim of this study was to evaluate transport of nine selected molecular markers through saturated soil column experiments. The selected sewage molecular markers in this study were six PPCPs including acetaminophen (ACT), carbamazepine (CBZ), caffeine (CF), crotamiton (CTMT), diethyltoluamide (DEET), salicylic acid (SA) and three ASs including acesulfame (ACF), cyclamate (CYC), and saccharine (SAC). Results confirmed that ACF, CBZ, CTMT, CYC and SAC were suitable to be used as sewage molecular markers since they were almost stable against sorption and biodegradation process during soil column experiments. In contrast, transport of ACT, CF and DEET were limited by both sorption and biodegradation processes and 100% removal efficiency was achieved in the biotic column. Moreover, in this study the effect of different acetate concentration (0-100mg/L) as an easily biodegradable primary substrate on a removal of PPCPs and ASs was also studied. Results showed a negative correlation (r(2)>0.75) between the removal of some selected sewage chemical markers including ACF, CF, ACT, CYC, SAC and acetate concentration. CTMT also decreased with the addition of acetate, but increasing acetate concentration did not affect on its removal. CBZ and DEET removal were not dependent on the presence of acetate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Mahsa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foolad
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Say Leong
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore. Electronic address: ceehujy@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Jiangyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000737:chemistry; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000737:chemistry; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D003358:Cosmetics; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: ASs; Acetate; Adsorption; Biodegradation; PPCPs; Soil column; Transport