title: Sources of nitrogen heterocyclic PAHs (N-HETs) along a riverine course.
abstract: For the first time the occurrence of 26 nitrogen heterocyclic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (N-HETs) and the antiepileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ) as a marker for anthropogenic influence was determined in an entire river system and its influents. Besides the investigation of diurnal and annual variations in concentrations, dilution and load calculations, the aims were to facilitate transferability to other rivers by identifying sources of the different substances. To create a sufficient database over 180 aqueous samples from the River Fuhse (Lower Saxony, Germany), its catchment area, effluents of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and rainwater were analyzed. Typical substances found in background water samples and rain samples were quinoline and isoquinoline, whereas 1-/3-methylisoquinoline were traced back to an industrial WWTP. Due to similar concentration levels in the effluents of municipal WWTPs, their impact on the river correlated with their nominal loads. In municipal WWTP effluents CBZ (cmedian=1693ngL-1), 2-methylquinoline (cmedian=64ngL-1), and acridine (cmedian=62ngL-1) prevailed. Although the occurrence of N-HETs at contaminated sites is a widely discussed scientific topic, this study showed that the investigated site was a source with only small volumetric contribution to N-HET concentrations in the adjacent river. In total the River Fuhse discharges 20kga-1N-HETs and 21kga-1CBZ into the receiving river.
authors.affiliation: Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Institute for Sustainable and Environmental Chemistry, Scharnhorststr. 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne-Kathrin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Siemers
authors.affiliation: Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Institute for Sustainable and Environmental Chemistry, Scharnhorststr. 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany. Electronic address: palm@uni.leuphana.de.
authors.forename: Wolf-Ulrich
authors.initials: WU
authors.lastname: Palm
authors.affiliation: Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Institute for Sustainable and Environmental Chemistry, Scharnhorststr. 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faubel
authors.affiliation: Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Institute for Sustainable and Environmental Chemistry, Scharnhorststr. 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan Sebastian
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Mänz
authors.affiliation: Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defense and Nature Conservation Agency (NLWKN), An der Scharlake 39, 31135 Hildesheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steffen
authors.affiliation: Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Institute for Sustainable and Environmental Chemistry, Scharnhorststr. 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ruck
mesh_terms: D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005858:Germany; D009584:Nitrogen; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002220:Carbamazepine; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Azaarenes; N-HET; River water; Sources; Wastewater treatment plants