PPCP Monitoring in Drinking Water Supply Systems: The Example of Káraný Waterworks in Central Bohemia

Abstract

The Káraný waterworks supplies drinking water to about one-third of Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic with a population of more than 1 million. The combination of two technologies—bank infiltration and artificial recharge—are used for production of drinking water. The two-year monitoring of PPCPs (pharmaceuticals and personal care products) at monthly intervals observed temporal changes in 81 substances in the source river and groundwater, and the efficacy of contamination removal depended on the treatment technology used. The results showed a very wide range of PPCPs discharged from the waste water treatment plant at Mladá Boleslav into the Jizera River at concentrations ranging from ng/L to μg/L. Acesulfame and oxypurinol in concentrations exceeding 100 ng/L systematically occurred, and then a few tens of ng/L of carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, primidone, and lamotrigine were regularly detected at the water outlet using the artificial recharge for production of drinking water. Bank infiltration was found more efficient in removing PPCP substances at the Káraný locality where none of the monitored substances was systematically detected in the mixed sample.

Occurrence of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Water Environment of Poland: A Review

“…Among natural water sources in Poland, surface water bodies have been relatively well researched, and almost all the considered PPCP groups (36) have been investigated. This especially applies in the case of flowing streams, with information on PPCP concentrations found for 39 rivers, including the longest ones, such as the Vistula, Odra and Warta.…”

“…Despite this, PPCPs are still not included in regular monitoring in Poland. Furthermore, these contaminants have not yet been adequately addressed in other European countries [35,36]. In addition, in the recent proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the quality of water intended for human consumption [37], new parameters were proposed and recommended for inclusion by the WHO (World Health Organization), including, among others, three substances classified as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs): beta-oestradiol, nonylphenol and bisphenol A.…”

Natural attenuation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products percolating through rocky substrates – an example based on the Káraný waterworks

“…Systematic monitoring of the water quality in the Jizera River between 2017 and 2021 in the section between Mladá Boleslav and Káraný (Hrkal et al 2018;Hrkal 2022) revealed a wide range of PPCPs leaving the WWTP in Mladá Boleslav. Oxypurinol and telmisartan occurred in the treated wastewater at concentrations in the order of tens of µg/l; the other four drugs, namely diclofenac, tramadol, lamotrigine and hydrochlorothiazide, were present at concentrations in the order of units of mg/l.…”

“…Concentrations of PPCPs (ng/l) in the water of the Jizera river (monthly average for 2017-2018)(Hrkal et al 2018). …”

Effect of Applied Electrical Stimuli to Interdigitated Electrode Sensors While Detecting 17α-Ethinylestradiol in Water Samples

“…Amongst these chemicals and products are triclosan (5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol) (TCS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), chloridane, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), amoxicillin, metaflumizone, methiocarb, estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), to name a few [7][8][9][10]. Although some of these chemicals have already been banned in certain countries, others remain in use, albeit being part of international watchlists, whose main goal is to develop and analyze a great volume of studies regarding their impact on the environment, and posteriorly, allowing for a more informed and educated decision as to their future, be it them being banned, having their use limited and regulated, or allowing their use freely [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. The threat that PPCP and EDC pose against the environment has a nexus to the impossible; due to current technological limitations, to completely remove these compounds from water that undergoes cleaning processes in wastewater treatment plants (WWTT), results in trace amounts of such products being released into the environment and thus finding their ways into natural water bodies, such as lakes, rivers, seas, and underground waters, among others [15][16][17].…”