A strategic screening approach to identify transformation products of organic micropollutants along rivers

• Many transformation products (TPs) from organic micropollutants are not included in routine monitoring programs due to limited knowledge of their occurrence and fate. An efficient method to identify and prioritize critical compounds in terms of environmental relevance is needed. In this study we applied a strategic screening approach based on a case-control concept to identify TPs with an increasing trend along a stretch in four wastewater-impacted rivers. Time-integrated samples were taken over one week at both ends of a river stretch downstream of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outfall. The screening procedure consisted of three major steps: i) screening for parent compounds (PCs) attenuating along the stretch; ii) prediction of TPs for these PCs; and iii) screening for TPs with an increasing trend along the stretch. In total, 48 organic micropollutants were tentatively identified, of which 32 were decreasing along the stretches. From these PCs, 1315 TPs were predicted and eight out of which were tentatively identified with increasing concentrations along the stretches. Generally, good correlations were observed between the suspect screening results from this study and previous target analysis results on the same samples, suggesting high confidence of our screening approach. The case-control concept was proven efficient and reliable for identifying environmental relevant TPs formed along rivers. 

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Applied Environmental Science

tillämpad miljövetenskap

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)