No abstract

A comprehensive study aimed at evaluating the occurrence, significance of concentrations and spatial distribution of priority pollutants (PPs) along the Comunidad Valenciana coastal waters (Spain) was carried out in order to fulfil the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Additionally, PPs concentrations were also analysed in the effluent of 28 WWTPs distributed along the studied area, since these infrastructures are usually considered a significant point source of many of these toxic substances.In coastal waters 36 organic pollutants of the 71 analysed, including 26 PPs (8 of them priority hazardous substances) were detected although many of them with low frequency of occurrence. Only 13 compounds, which belong to four different classes (VOCs, organochlorinated pesticides, phthalates and tributyltin compounds (TBT)) showed a frequency of occurrence above 20% in coastal waters. Toluene was the most ubiquitous pollutant (detected in 100% of the samples) with maximum concentration of 1.6 g/l. All analysed coastal waters showed the presence of PPs, being di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) the most frequent one (detected in 57% of the samples) reaching concentrations up to 15 g/l. In the results obtained until now, there are four compounds that exceed the established Environmental Quality Standards (EQS): octylphenol, pentachlorobenzene, DEHP and TBT exceeded the annual average concentration (EQS-AAC), and only TBT surpassed the maximum allowable concentration (EQS-MAC).Despite its prohibition, endosulfan and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were detected in 9% and 30% of the samples, respectively, and their concentrations were relatively close to their EQS-AAC value (around the 70 %). The most frequent contaminants determined in coastal waters were also present in WWTP's effluents. Generally, effluents from WWTPs exhibited higher frequency of occurrence and concentration than in coastal waters, except for DEPH.

Osmotic dehydration (OD) of grapefruit (55ºBrix sucrose solution, 30 ºC) was 10 carried out to obtain 75 g water/100 g sample in the final product. Although the 11 grapefruit was replaced each time, the osmotic solution (OS) was reused for five OD 12 cycles, with or without pasteurization. The samples obtained in cycles 1, 3 and 5, 13 were stored at 10 ºC. Changes in ºBrix, water content, water activity, pH, total 14 acidity, ascorbic acid content, cation concentration, respiration rate and total 15 microbial counts at different storage times were analysed and compared to fresh-cut 16 grapefruit stored under the same conditions. During OD, a partial loss of the natural 17 soluble substances present in the fruit was observed. In terms of the dehydration 18 level reached by the fruit, it is possible to reuse the OS in up to 5 OD, without any 19 reconcentration treatment. Nevertheless, it is advisable to pasteurize the OS before 20