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Emerging contaminants in groundwater environment – boDEREC-CE project

The technological development of laboratory instruments and analytical methods combined with the use of innovative approaches bring out a spectrum of new questions and challenges regarding the occurrence of recently unknown or unmonitored anthropogenic sources of aquatic environment’s contamination, so-called “Emerging Contaminants” (EC). The majority of these substances, such as a wide range of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP) find their way into the soil and water through excretion, waste disposal and wastewater, where they are usually present in low concentrations (ng/I to μg/I). Given the lack of knowledge on their ecotoxicity, persistence, transport and fate, EC are not included in regular surface water/groundwater monitoring on EU level, which represents a problem of cross-border concern and should be tackled by strong transnational cooperation of renowned experts and relevant stakeholders. This is where Interreg Central Europe project boDEREC-CE (Board for Detection and Assessment of Pharmaceutical Drug Residues in Drinking Water – Capacity Building for Water Management in Central Europe) steps in, by focusing on the design of an integrated management of waterworks and recommendations for the improvement of existing legislation on drinking and wastewater standards as well as technical solutions. As a project’s starting point, a review of state-of-the-art of current practices in relation to EC in the water environment will help to identify relevant types of substances, existing analytical and monitoring techniques, attenuation strategies and approaches on national and transnational level. Afterwards, in eight preselected pilot areas across Central Europe grouped in three clusters (groundwater extraction sites, surface water extraction sites, extraction sites in karstic areas), representing different hydrological systems under various environmental pressures, behaviour of EC, characteristics of the natural attenuation and removal efficacy of different treatment techniques will be thoroughly studied via jointly developed monitoring methodology and common project EC database. Building upon the results of previous successful EU projects, in particular FREEWAT, NORMAN, MARS and GLOBAQUA, boDEREC-CE partners will develop an implementation strategy of a model-based decision making process for EC called “modePROCON”, which will be continuously tested and evaluated during stakeholder capacity building workshops. Another main project output will be “wwDEMAST”, a framework for decision- making support tool used by waterworks, for selecting the optimal EC treatment method. In order to foster future cooperation and dissemination of boDEREC-CE results on EU level, a Board of experts will be established. boDEREC-CE project is co-financed under the Interreg Central Europe Programme 2014-2020 priority specific objective „3.1. To improve integrated environmental management capacities for the protection and sustainable use of natural heritage and resources“. The project worth € 2.328.140, 81, started its 3-year implementation in April 2019 and will gather 12 project partners originating from 7 EU countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Poland and Slovenia). The Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology of Croatian Geological Survey (HGI-CGS) has in boDEREC-CE project a role of Lead Partner with selected pilot area “Jadro and Žrnovnica springs catchment”. Within that pilot, certain particularities of EC occurrence, transport, and behaviour in karst aquifers will be studied, as well. Since Jadro and Žrnovnica catchment is a typical Dinaric karst terrain, autopurfication is quite poor, and interaction of groundwater sampled on springs and in boreholes with surface water of Cetina River will be compared. Given how HGI-CGS also participates in international Horizon 2020 project GeoTwinn (Strengthening research in the Croatian Geological Survey: Geoscience-Twinning to develop state-of-the-art subsurface modelling capability and scientific impact) which is among else focused on modelling of EC transport in groundwater, a chance for synergy building between these two projects will enable experts to exchange experience and knowledge gained in the field of emerging contaminants.

emerging contaminants ; groundwater ; karst ; modelling ; boDEREC-CE

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