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Atmospheric influence on the distribution of organic pollutants in the Guadalquivir River estuary, SW Spain

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Abstract

In the lower Guadalquivir river basin, a system stressed by a wide variety of anthropogenic activities, eight pesticides (four triazines, two chloroacetanilide herbicides, one organochlorine, and one organophosphorus insecticide); and four emerging pollutants (two personal care products, one organophosphorous flame retardant, and one xanthine alkaloid) were analyzed in river water during a 2-year monitoring program, and after rain episodes. Samples were extracted using the solid phase extraction (SPE) technique prior to determination of compounds using gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer detector. Except for caffeine, recoveries were mostly above 80 %, while limits of detection and quantification were in the low nanograms per liter level (except for dimethoate). Terbuthylazine, simazine (triazine herbicides), and dimethoate (organophosphorus insecticide), present in agrochemicals, were predominant in the river water, although concentrations were below the quality standards established by the EU Water-Framework-Directive. A general trend to increase concentration was observed after rain events, in particular for pesticides, possibly as a consequence of surface runoff.

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Acknowledgment

This work has been supported by the Andalusian Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa (RNM-0117).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA-CSIC, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Cristal Fernández-Gómez, Victor Matamoros & Sergi Díez

  2. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain

    José Antonio López-López, Manuel García-Vargas & Carlos Moreno

Authors
  1. Cristal Fernández-Gómez
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  2. José Antonio López-López
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  3. Victor Matamoros
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  4. Sergi Díez
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  5. Manuel García-Vargas
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  6. Carlos Moreno
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Correspondence to Carlos Moreno.

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Fernández-Gómez, C., López-López, J.A., Matamoros, V. et al. Atmospheric influence on the distribution of organic pollutants in the Guadalquivir River estuary, SW Spain. Environ Monit Assess 185, 3209–3218 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2784-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2784-9

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