TY - JOUR

T1 - Catchment area, fate, and environmental risks investigation of micropollutants in Danish wastewater

AU - Kilpinen, Kristoffer

AU - Devers, Jason

AU - Castro, Mafalda

AU - Tisler, Selina

AU - Jørgensen, Mathias B.

AU - Mortensen, Peter

AU - Christensen, Jan H.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023. The Author(s).

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of micropollutants in wastewater related to catchment area, and their environmental risks and fate. About 24-h flow proportional effluent (n = 26) wastewater samples were collected from eight WWTPs across Denmark. From five of these WWTPs corresponding influent samples (n = 20) were collected. Samples were enriched by multi-layer solid phase and analysed by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry detection. We detected and quantified 79 micropollutants from a list of 291 micropollutants in at least one influent or effluent wastewater sample. From this we found that 54 micropollutants decreased in concentrations during wastewater treatment, while O-desmethylvenlafaxine, carbamazepine, amitriptyline, benzothiazole, terbutryn, and citalopram increased in concentrations through the WWTP.The toxicity of effluent wastewater samples was assessed by EC50 using Raphidocelis subcapitata (R. subcapitata) and LC50 using the crustacean Daphnia magna (D. Magna), for which six micropollutants were detected above the predicted no-effect concentration. Our study demonstrates that catchment area influences the micropollutant composition of wastewater. Out of 19 pharmaceuticals, the measured concentration in influent wastewater was predicted within a factor of 10 from sale numbers and human excretion, which demonstrates the strong influence of catchment area on micropollutant composition.

AB - This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of micropollutants in wastewater related to catchment area, and their environmental risks and fate. About 24-h flow proportional effluent (n = 26) wastewater samples were collected from eight WWTPs across Denmark. From five of these WWTPs corresponding influent samples (n = 20) were collected. Samples were enriched by multi-layer solid phase and analysed by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry detection. We detected and quantified 79 micropollutants from a list of 291 micropollutants in at least one influent or effluent wastewater sample. From this we found that 54 micropollutants decreased in concentrations during wastewater treatment, while O-desmethylvenlafaxine, carbamazepine, amitriptyline, benzothiazole, terbutryn, and citalopram increased in concentrations through the WWTP.The toxicity of effluent wastewater samples was assessed by EC50 using Raphidocelis subcapitata (R. subcapitata) and LC50 using the crustacean Daphnia magna (D. Magna), for which six micropollutants were detected above the predicted no-effect concentration. Our study demonstrates that catchment area influences the micropollutant composition of wastewater. Out of 19 pharmaceuticals, the measured concentration in influent wastewater was predicted within a factor of 10 from sale numbers and human excretion, which demonstrates the strong influence of catchment area on micropollutant composition.

KW - Chemicals of emerging concern

KW - GC × GC-QToF

KW - LC-QToFMS

KW - Micropollutants

KW - Pharmaceuticals

KW - Removal efficiency

KW - Wastewater epidemiology

KW - Wastewater treatment

U2 - 10.1007/s11356-023-30331-z

DO - 10.1007/s11356-023-30331-z

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37950122

AN - SCOPUS:85179013481

VL - 30

SP - 121107

EP - 121123

JO - Environmental Science and Pollution Research

JF - Environmental Science and Pollution Research

SN - 0944-1344

IS - 57

ER -