title: Contamination sources and distribution patterns of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Alpine rivers strongly affected by tourism.
abstract: Knowledge regarding the impact of tourism on the emergence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in Alpine river waters is limited and scarce. Therefore, a study on the occurrence patterns and spatiotemporal variability of 105 PPCPs in an Alpine river basin located in the Trentino-Alto Adige region (North-Eastern Italy) has been conducted. We observed that the total concentration of analyzed PPCPs was generally higher in all sampling sites during winter than in the summer. The analysis of tourist data revealed that during both sampling campaigns the number of tourists was lower in the downstream sites in comparison with the upstream area of the basin (Val di Sole). Particularly, sampling sites located near important tourist resorts have shown the highest abundance of the PPCPs during winter, being analgesics/anti-inflammatories, antihypertensives and antibiotics the most abundant pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs). Diclofenac showed the highest concentration amongst PhACs, reaching concentrations up to 675ngL-1in the sampling site situated downstream of the Tonale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Antihypertensives were found at concentrations >300ngL-1, while antibiotics were quantified up to 196ngL-1, respectively. Amongst personal care products (PCPs), the most abundant compound was octyl-dimethyl-p-aminobenzoic acid (ODPABA) with concentrations reaching up to 748ngL-1in the sampling site situated within the Rotaliana district. In general, concentrations and detection frequencies were higher in water than in the sediment samples. The most frequently detected PhACs in sediments from both sampling campaigns were antibiotics, while amongst PCPs in sediments, octocrylene (OC) showed the highest concentration in both sampling campaigns. As a result, this study highlights the potential impact of tourism on the water quality of the Alpine aquatic ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), C/Emili Grahit, 101 E, 17003 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ladislav
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mandaric
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, Trento I-38123, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Diamantini
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, Trento I-38123, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stella
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, Trento I-38123, Italy.
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cano-Paoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Chemistry IDAEA-CSIC, C/Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valle-Sistac
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Chemistry IDAEA-CSIC, C/Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Molins-Delgado
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, Trento I-38123, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bellin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Arcistrasse 21, Munich 80333, Germany; Institute of Geography, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chiogna
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, Trento I-38123, Italy.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Majone
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Chemistry IDAEA-CSIC, C/Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M Silvia
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Diaz-Cruz
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), C/Emili Grahit, 101 E, 17003 Girona, Spain; Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Campus de Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sabater
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), C/Emili Grahit, 101 E, 17003 Girona, Spain; Department of Environmental Chemistry IDAEA-CSIC, C/Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Damia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barcelo
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), C/Emili Grahit, 101 E, 17003 Girona, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Lluis Company 25, 08010 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: mpetrovic@icra.cat.
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrovic
mesh_terms: D003358:Cosmetics / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007558:Italy; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014195:Travel; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Adige River; Alpine ecosystems; Personal care products; Pharmaceutical compounds; Spatiotemporal variability; Tourism