title: Persistent organic pollutants in shallow percolated water of the Alps Karst system (Zugspitze summit, Germany).
abstract: In the German Calcareous Alps at the Zugspitze, percolated water close to a permafrost bedrock in a tunnel system was monitored long-term for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and 28 organochlorine pesticides (OCP). Semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMD) were deployed in a temporary surface water system at the Zugspitze plateau and analysed for PCB, PAH, and OCP. The high-volume water sampling was successfully implemented and all compounds were identified in the water percolated through the Karst system. However, the percentage distribution of contaminants in the percolated water differed significantly from that found in surface waters. The highest chlorinated PCDD homologues were the predominant compounds of the PCDD/F family, whereas percentages of PCB #52 increased in percolated water. Toxic equivalent values (TEQ) of samples ranged from 2.0 to 4.2pgTEQ/m3and from 0.017 to 0.069pgTEQ/m3for PCDD/F and PCB, respectively. Low and intermediate molecular weight PAH were the prevailing compounds in the samples. Endosulfan sulfate, endrin, and cis-heptachlor epoxide were enhanced after water percolation through the Karst system in comparison with the surface waters (wet deposition). The relative enrichment on these pesticides was related to the environmental bedrock conditions and glacier melting sources. In summary, the Karst system highly influenced the fate of organic persistent pollutants generating different chemical patterns in their percolated waters than those found at the surface systems.
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Molecular EXposomics (MEX), Ingolstädter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany. Electronic address: walkiria.levy@helmholtz-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Walkiria
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Molecular EXposomics (MEX), Ingolstädter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marchela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pandelova
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Molecular EXposomics (MEX), Ingolstädter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Henkelmann
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Molecular EXposomics (MEX), Ingolstädter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernhöft
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Molecular EXposomics (MEX), Ingolstädter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Molecular EXposomics (MEX), Ingolstädter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Antritter
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Molecular EXposomics (MEX), Ingolstädter Landstr.1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; TUM, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan für Ernährung, Landnutzung und Umwelt, Department für Biowissenschaftliche Grundlagen, Weihenstephaner Steig 23, 85350 Freising, Germany. Electronic address: schramm@wzw.tum.de.
authors.forename: Karl-Werner
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Schramm
keywords: Dioxins; Groundwater; Karst system; Organochlorine pesticides; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons