No abstract

<p>Monitoring critical drinking water points in the water distribution system of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) is an increasing concern. The control of several quality parameters as free chlorine, total organic carbon (TOC), conductivity, turbidity, temperature, colour, pressure and flow are necessary to ensure a supply of safe and clean drinking water to consumers.</p> <p>The aim of this project is to investigate the consequences of alterations detected in the water distribution system, to find the focus of occurrences and controlling them to provide a better drinking water quality to Barcelona citizens.</p> <p>Barcelona procures drinking water to its citizens via two main water sources: Ter and Llobregat Rivers. They have intrinsic quality differences and they must be treated in different ways. With the purpose of controlling and investigating how these differences impact the water quality supplies, two s::can sensor systems were installed in the Poblenou District (Barcelona). The first one (nano::station) was installed in a drinking water distribution pipe, and the second one (pipe::scan) was installed in a domestic water supply network. Both systems were situated in the same drinking water confluence sector in order to compare the data recorded and to visualise water quality changes. More than 20 events were recorded, analysed and classified according to whether the alteration was due to an occasional event in the domestic water supply or to an external incident from the water distribution system. Some detected events were related to an increase of temperature, a rise of water demand, the water origins or changes in pressure.</p> <p>One important event recorded by the installed probes was an increase of temperature, directly associated with an augment of total organic matter (TOC) at the beginning of summer (June 2018). A great rise of TOC would be the causer of high consumption of free chlorine that it could be hazardous for human health if there is not enough chlorine dissolved in water. Due to this temperature increment (from 15°C to 23°C in a few days), the minimum level of chlorine (less than 0.2 mg/L) was registered in the Poblenou Sector.</p> <p>Nano::station and pipe::scan sensor systems are excellent tools as on-line water quality controllers. These kinds of sensors can record variations occurring every two minutes, giving a great perception of the events that are happening at different points of the drinking water city-wide network.</p>

<div> <p>PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are anthropogenic pollutants which are persistent in the environment and toxic for the human health. The H2020 PROMISCES project (GA-101036449), funded through the European Green Deal call, aims to understand the origins, routes and fates of these pollutants with the goal of moving forward a zero-pollution circular economy. One of the considered routes is the soil-groundwater continuum. Here, this route is studied within a case study located in Tordera aquifer (Spain) affected by PFAS from aqueous film forming foams used in fire-fighting activities.</p> <p>Modelling the fate and transport of PFAS in a real aquifer is one of the objectives of PROMISCES. The proposed model train will be built by coupling a 1D-2D variably-saturated flow reactive model, developed using a modified version of HYDRUS/PHREEQC, for the vadose zone, and a 2D-fully saturated flow and reactive transport model based on Modflow/MT3D software, for the saturated zone. Thus, it will provide information about the fluxes from contaminated soil to groundwater in the investigated case study. The models produced within PROMISCES can be used to predict the PFAS plume evolution in similar polluted aquifers.</p> <p>Another goal of the project is to develop novel remediation technologies to degrade PFAS in groundwater. Alternative oxidation processes (e.g. persulfate activated with Fe(II), H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, or (n)ZVI) will be tested at bench-scale. Based on degradation rate, by-product formation, reagent consumption and associated costs, the most efficient treatment will be chosen for up-scaling and applied within the investigated polluted aquifer.</p> <p>In this conference, it will be presented how the PROMISCES project address the PFAS-polluted aquifer problem in a dedicated site with modelling tools and with the implementation of in situ advanced oxidation treatments to depollute groundwater.</p> </div>