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Transport of primidone, carbamazepine, and sulfamethoxazole in thermally treated sediments—laboratory column experiments

  • SEDIMENTS, SEC 2 • PHYSICAL AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

The transport behavior of human pharmaceuticals in groundwater depends on a multitude of factors such as the physico-chemical conditions in the aquifer and the organic carbon content of the sediment, and, in particular, on the redox conditions in the groundwater. This is of special interest at managed aquifer recharge sites where the occurrence of trace organics is important for drinking water production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of influencing the redox system of the aquifer in a way that optimizes the potential of managed aquifer recharge systems to reduce the amount of trace organics.

Materials and methods

Column studies were performed using natural and thermally treated sediments from an infiltration basin of the Berlin area, Germany. Special emphasis was placed on thermal treatment of the sediments to influence the total organic carbon (TOC) content in the sediment. In one experiment, the sediment was thermally pretreated at 550 °C, in two experiments the sediment was pretreated at 200 °C, and in one the sediment was untreated. Furthermore, the influence of ozonation, a very common disinfectant used in drinking water production, was studied in the experiments. The retardation and degradation parameters for primidone (PMD), carbamazepine (CBZ), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) under different redox conditions were evaluated.

Results and discussion

Oxic conditions were obtained in the experiment with low TOC (0.06 wt%) in the sediment pre-treated at 550 °C. Anoxic conditions were predominant in two column experiments with a TOC content of 0.17 wt% in the sediment, irrespective of the mode of treatment (natural or 200 °C). All three pharmaceutical compounds show almost conservative transport behavior with retardation factors between 1.02 and 1.25 for PMD, between 1.06 and 1.37 for CBZ, and between 1.00 and 1.08 for SMX. Differences in the transport behavior were observed depending on the TOC content of the sediment. For CBZ, and to a minor extent for PMD, the higher retardation factors were observed in the sediment with a TOC content of 0.17 wt% under anoxic conditions. The ozonation of the influent water affects the influent concentrations of PMD, CBZ and SMX. However, it has no influence on the oxygen concentration of the column outflow.

Conclusions

CBZ and PMD are retarded in the presence of organic matter in the aquifer. Variations of the TOC content of the sediment have a direct influence on the retardation of CBZ and PMD. The three human pharmaceuticals may be ranked in order of decreasing retardation: CBZ > PMD > SMX. The microbial activity in the experiments was not studied, although it can be assumed that the thermal pretreatment influences the microbial activity in the sediments. In particular, the microbial activity was severely inhibited at 550 °C, resulting in a shift of the redox conditions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB) and Veolia Water through the Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB gGmbH) within the project OXIRED-2. The authors would like to thank Karsten Nödler and Tobias Licha from Geoscience Centre of the University of Göttingen, Department of Applied Geology for the analysis of the human pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the authors grateful acknowledge the support of I. Pieper, K. Yildiz, S. Banzhaf and D. Radny from the Hydrogeology Research Group of the Technische Universität Berlin. The ozonation was performed at the Chair for Water Quality Control of the Technische Universität. Thanks to U. Hübner for the assistance.

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Correspondence to Beate Müller.

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Müller, B., Scheytt, T. & Grützmacher, G. Transport of primidone, carbamazepine, and sulfamethoxazole in thermally treated sediments—laboratory column experiments. J Soils Sediments 13, 953–965 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0671-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0671-9

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