title: Evaluation of polar organic micropollutants as indicators for wastewater-related coastal water quality impairment.
abstract: Results from coastal water pollution monitoring (Lesvos Island, Greece) are presented. In total, 53 samples were analyzed for 58 polar organic micropollutants such as selected herbicides, biocides, corrosion inhibitors, stimulants, artificial sweeteners, and pharmaceuticals. Main focus is the application of a proposed wastewater indicator quartet (acesulfame, caffeine, valsartan, and valsartan acid) to detect point sources and contamination hot-spots with untreated and treated wastewater. The derived conclusions are compared with the state of knowledge regarding local land use and infrastructure. The artificial sweetener acesulfame and the stimulant caffeine were used as indicators for treated and untreated wastewater, respectively. In case of a contamination with untreated wastewater the concentration ratio of the antihypertensive valsartan and its transformation product valsartan acid was used to further refine the estimation of the residence time of the contamination. The median/maximum concentrations of acesulfame and caffeine were 5.3/178 ng L(-1) and 6.1/522 ng L(-1), respectively. Their detection frequency was 100%. Highest concentrations were detected within the urban area of the capital of the island (Mytilene). The indicator quartet in the gulfs of Gera and Kalloni (two semi-enclosed embayments on the island) demonstrated different concentration patterns. A comparatively higher proportion of untreated wastewater was detected in the gulf of Gera, which is in agreement with data on the wastewater infrastructure. The indicator quality of the micropollutants to detect wastewater was compared with electrical conductivity (EC) data. Due to their anthropogenic nature and low detection limits, the micropollutants are superior to EC regarding both sensitivity and selectivity. The concentrations of atrazine, diuron, and isoproturon did not exceed the annual average of their environmental quality standards (EQS) defined by the European Commission. At two sampling locations irgarol 1051 exceeded its annual average EQS value but not the maximum allowable concentration of 16 ng L(-1).
authors.affiliation: TZW: DVGW - Technologiezentrum Wasser, Karlsruher Straße 84, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany. Electronic address: Karsten.noedler@tzw.de.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nödler
authors.affiliation: Department Applied Geology, Geoscience Centre of the University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsakiri
authors.affiliation: Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aloupi
authors.affiliation: Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece; Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej, B 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gatidou
authors.affiliation: Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece; Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej, B 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Athanasios S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Stasinakis
authors.affiliation: Department Applied Geology, Geoscience Centre of the University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Licha
mesh_terms: D001280:Atrazine; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000032:analysis; D004237:Diuron; D006115:Greece; D006540:Herbicides / Q000032:analysis; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis*; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D001280:Atrazine; D004202:Disinfectants; D004237:Diuron; D006540:Herbicides; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Acesulfame; Caffeine; Indicators; Marine environment; Wastewater