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Long-term transport behavior of psychoactive compounds in sewage-affected groundwater

Langzeittransportverhalten von psychoaktiven Substanzen in einem abwasserbeeinflussten Grundwasserleiter

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Abstract

The present study provides a model-based characterization of the long-term transport behavior of five psychoactive compounds (meprobamate, pyrithyldione, primidone, phenobarbital and phenylethylmalonamide) introduced into groundwater via sewage irrigation in Berlin, Germany. Compounds are still present in the groundwater despite the sewage farm closure in the year 1980. Due to the limited information on (i) compound concentrations in the source water and (ii) substance properties, a total of 180 cross-sectional model realizations for each compound were carried out, covering a large range of possible parameter combinations. Results were compared with the present-day contamination patterns in the aquifer and the most likely scenarios were identified based on a number of model performance criteria. The simulation results show that (i) compounds are highly persistent under the present field conditions, and (ii) sorption is insignificant. Thus, back-diffusion from low permeability zones appears as the main reason for the compound retardation.

Zusammenfassung

Die vorliegende Studie untersucht mit modellbasierten Methoden das Langzeitverhalten von 5 psychoaktiven Substanzen (Meprobamat, Pyrithyldion, Primidon, Phenobarbital und Phenylethylmalonamid) im Grundwasser abstromig eines ehemaligen Rieselfeldes in Berlin. Trotz der Einstellung der Abwasserverrieselung im Jahre 1980 finden sich die Substanzen noch in messbaren Konzentrationen im Grundwasser. Aufgrund der spärlichen Datenlage bezüglich (i) der historischen Konzentrationen im verdieseltem Abwasser und (ii) Abbaubarkeit und Sorptionseigenschaften, wurden mit einem Grundwasserströmung- und Transportmodell des Standorts 180 Realisationen zur Abbildung einer großen Zahl möglicher Parameterkombinationen und des Einflusses auf das Ausbreitungsverhalten pro Substanz durchgeführt. Mit Hilfe verschiedener Modellanpassungskriterien wurden die wahrscheinlichsten Szenarien identifiziert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass (i) die Substanzen unter den vorliegenden Feldbedingungen extrem persistent sind und (ii) Sorption nicht signifikant ist. Die beobachtete starke Retardation der Substanzen im Aquifer scheint alleine durch eine langsame Rückdiffusion aus ehemalig kontaminierten, hydraulisch schlechtdurchlässigen Zonen unterhalb des Rieselfeldes begründet zu sein.

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Acknowledgements

The field data on the psychoactive substances was provided by the Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB) and is greatly acknowledged. The modeling work was financed by the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam (MOET, DA-322). We would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions to improve this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114–118, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany

    Hang Thuy Thi Nham, Janek Greskowiak & Gudrun Massmann

  2. GeoDienste GmbH, Leinestraße 33, 30827, Garbsen, Germany

    Enrico Hamann

  3. Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzado, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    Raffaella Meffe

  4. Bezirksamt Reinickendorf, Eichborndamm 215–239, 13437, Berlin, Germany

    Ulrike Hass

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  1. Hang Thuy Thi Nham
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  3. Enrico Hamann
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  4. Raffaella Meffe
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Correspondence to Janek Greskowiak.

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Nham, H.T.T., Greskowiak, J., Hamann, E. et al. Long-term transport behavior of psychoactive compounds in sewage-affected groundwater. Grundwasser 21, 321–332 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00767-016-0336-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00767-016-0336-x

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