Autor |
Schirmer, M.; Reinstorf, F.; Leschik, S.; Musolff, A.; Krieg, R.; Osenbrück, K.; Martien, M.; Schirmer, K.; Strauch, G.; |
Abstract |
This chapter on urban water in large population centres like Halle/Saale and
Leipzig (Germany) focuses on the source, distribution and transport behaviour of
xenobiotics as indicator substances for anthropogenic impacts on urban water
systems.
The xenobiotics reported here are micropollutants including
pharmaceuticals, personal care products (collectively known as PPCPs) and
industrial chemicals, which show low concentrations in urban waters. Such
chemicals can be endocrine disrupters or are otherwise eco-toxic. The concepts
presented herein required a new methodology for assessing the impact of human
activities on the urban water system and processes in urban watersheds. To this
end, we used different approaches in relation to the hydrogeological and
hydrodynamic settings of the cities of Halle and Leipzig. For the Halle urban
area, a conceptual flow and transport model was developed based on interaction
between the river Saale and groundwater, and mass fluxes were computed, based on
water balance calculations. For Leipzig, as a first approach, we established a
monitoring program that involved various urban land use types and investigated
their influence on the urban water system. Multivariate statistics and integral
pumping tests were applied to account for the spatially highly heterogeneous
conditions and time-varying concentrations. At both sites, we demonstrated the
use of indicators consisting of physico-chemical parameters, ions, isotopes and
compound-specific patterns of xenobiotics. The chosen indicators of pH,
temperature, electrical conductivity, redox conditions, nitrate, sulphate,
chloride, boron, the isotopes of hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur and boron,
as well as bisphenol A, carbamazepine, technical 4-nonylphenol (t-nonylphenol),
galaxolide, tonalide, and gadolinium, helped to balance urban substance fluxes
and assess urban effects on surface water quality. From our current
quantification, it is clear that predicting contaminant behaviour in urban areas
demands a detailed process understanding which cannot be derived from laboratory
experiments or phenomenological analyses at the catchment scale. Through an
installation of measuring equipment at the interfaces between the unsaturated
and saturated zone as well as between ground- and surface water, in situ
contaminant transport and rate can be quantified from the cm- up to the m-range.
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Schirmer, M., Reinstorf, F., Leschik, S., Musolff, A., Krieg, R., Osenbrück, K., Martien, M., Schirmer, K., Strauch, G. (2010):
Transport and fate of xenobiotics in the urban water cycle: studies in Halle/Saale and Leipzig (Germany)
In: Fata-Kassinos, D., Bester, K., Kümmerer, K. (eds.)
Xenobiotics in the urban water cycle: mass flows, environmental processes and mitigation strategies
Environ. Pollut. 16
Springer, Heidelberg, p. 213 - 226 |