Sammanfattning

With increasing population growth and climate change, de facto reuse practices are predicted to increase globally. We investigated a longitudinal gradient within the Uhlava River, a representative watershed, where de facto reuse is actively occurring, during Fall and Spring seasons when instream flows vary. We observed human pharmaceutical levels in the river to continuously increase from the mountainous areas upstream to downstream locations and a potable intake location, with the highest concentrations found in small tributaries. Significant relationship was identified between mass flow of pharmaceuticals and the size of human populations contributing to wastewater treatment plant discharges. Advanced ozonation and granular activated carbon filtration effectively removed pharmaceuticals from potable source waters. We observed a higher probability of encountering a number of targeted pharmaceuticals during colder Spring months when stream flows were elevated compared to warmer conditions with lower flows in the Fall despite a dilution paradigm routinely applied for surface water quality assessment and management efforts. Such observations translated to greater water quality hazards during these higher Spring flows. Future water monitoring efforts should account for periods when higher chemical uses occur, particularly in the face of climate change for regions experiencing population growth and de facto reuse. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nyckelord

Passive sampling; Grab water sampling; Ozonation; GAC filtration; Drinking water supply/treatment; Water reuse

Publicerad i

Environmental Pollution
2021, Volym: 268, artikelnummer: 115888

SLU författare

• Cerveny, Daniel

  • Institutionen för vilt, fisk och miljö, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    
  • Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích

Globala målen

SDG3 God hälsa och välbefinnande
SDG6 Rent vatten och sanitet för alla
SDG13 Bekämpa klimatförändringarna


UKÄ forskningsämne

Vattenbehandling


Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115888

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/108664