Input of Pharmaceuticals, Pesticides and Industrial Chemicals as a Consequence of Using Conventional and Non-conventional Sources of Water for Artificial Groundwater Recharge

Abstract

Population growth and unpredictable climate changes will pose high demands on water resources in the future. Even at present, surface water is certainly not enough to cope with the water requirement for agricultural, industrial, recreational, and drinking purposes. In this context, the usage of groundwater has become essential, therefore its quality and quantity has to be carefully managed. Artificial recharge of aquifers can guarantee a sustainable level of groundwater, whilst strict quality control of waters intended for recharge will minimize contamination of both the groundwater and aquifer area. However, all water resources on the planet are threatened by multiple sources of contamination coming from the extended use of chemicals worldwide. In this respect, the environmental occurrence of organic micropollutants such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and their metabolites has experienced fast-growing interest. In addition to conventional sources of water for recharge, mainly surface water and drinking water surplus, non-conventional sources are attracting interest. Recently, the exploitation of alternative water sources for recharge including reclaimed municipal wastewater, treated industrial effluents, and storm water has been evaluated.

In this chapter an overview of the priority and emerging organic micropollutants found to be present in recharge, infiltrated, and recovered water at managed aquifer recharge sites is presented. Reported results indicated that the drug metabolite 1-acetyl-1-methyl-2-dimethyl-oxamoyl-2-phenylhydrazide (AMDOPH) was the compound found at the highest mean concentration (>1 000  ngL⁻¹) in the drinking water supply in an artificial groundwater recharge plant in Berlin, replenishing groundwater from the Lake Tegel. A similar mean concentration was measured for the pesticide cyanazine (1 150 ngL⁻¹). The pharmaceuticals diclofenac, indomethazine, and bezafibrate, and the industrial chemical tris(2-chloroisopropyl)-phosphate experienced a significant removal in the infiltration process, with elimination rates in the range 60–100%. In contrast, carbamazepine was found to be one of the most persistent contaminants in groundwater environments, with elimination rates below 10%. Different attenuation behaviors can be found depending on the recharge strategy, for instance bank filtration reduced 80% of the recharge water concentration of the antimicrobial sulfamethoxazole, meanwhile only 50% was decreased through infiltrations basins.