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Influence of effluent organic matter on copper speciation and bioavailability in rivers under strong urban pressure

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Abstract

This study focuses on spatiotemporal variations in the type of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and copper binding ability both upstream and downstream of Paris. It also compares the relative influence of both natural DOM upstream of Paris and effluent dissolved organic matter (EfDOM) output from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on trace metal speciation and bioavailability in aquatic systems. In addition to the typical high- and low-affinity binding sites, a third family of very high-affinity binding sites has been highlighted for EfDOM. In receiving waters downstream of Paris during low-flow periods, the percentage of high- and very high-affinity sites originating from EfDOM reaches nearly 60 %. According to the speciation computation, the free copper concentration upstream of Paris exceeds the downstream Paris concentration by a factor of 2 to 4. As regards copper bioavailability, the highest EC50tot values were observed for EfDOM and downstream DOM, with a very low aromaticity and low UV absorbance. This finding suggests that specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) is unlikely to be useful in assessing metal speciation and toxicity in aquatic systems subject to strong urban pressures. These results also highlight that the copper speciation computation for surface water exposed to considerable human pressures should include not only the humic and/or fulvic part of dissolved organic carbon but more hydrophilic fractions as well, originating for example from EfDOM.

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Acknowledgments

This study was conducted within the framework of the OPUR and Piren-Seine research programme.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université Paris-Est, LEESU, UMR MA 102, UPEC, 61 av. du Gal de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil Cedex, France

    Z. Matar, C. Soares Pereira, M. Troupel, L. Boudahmane & Gilles Varrault

  2. Faculty of Sciences-I, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

    Z. Matar

  3. Université Paris Est, LEESU, UMR MA 102, ENPC, 6-8 avenue Blaise Pascal, 77455, Champs-sur-Marne, France

    G. Chebbo & M. Saad

  4. Faculty of Engineering, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

    G. Chebbo

  5. IRSTEA, Unité Rech Hydrosyst & Bioprocédés, F-92613, Antony, France

    E. Uher & C. Gourlay-France

  6. SIAAP Direction du Développement et de la Prospective, 82 avenue Kléber, F-92700, Colombes, France

    V. Rocher

Authors
  1. Z. Matar
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  2. C. Soares Pereira
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  3. G. Chebbo
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  4. E. Uher
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  5. M. Troupel
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  6. L. Boudahmane
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  7. M. Saad
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  8. C. Gourlay-France
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  9. V. Rocher
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  10. Gilles Varrault
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gilles Varrault.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Matar, Z., Soares Pereira, C., Chebbo, G. et al. Influence of effluent organic matter on copper speciation and bioavailability in rivers under strong urban pressure. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 19461–19472 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5110-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5110-6

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