engleski

Emerging contaminants in Dinaric karst aquifer of Jadro and Žrnovnica springs

The technological advancement of analytical techniques and laboratory instruments brought to light a wide spectrum of anthropogenic substances referred to as “Emerging Contaminants” (EC). EC encompass pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP), industrial, agricultural, and lifestyle compounds, as well as their metabolites. This vast group of existing and newly synthesized contaminants enters the water environment mainly through wastewater effluents and is found in relatively low concentrations (ng/I to μg/I) in surface water and groundwater. The EC's transport, fate, persistency, and ecotoxicological effects are still largely uncharted, despite the recent increase in their research. The majority of these substances are not part of existing legislation and consequently are not included in routine surface water/groundwater monitoring activities, thus posing a potential threat to human health and ecosystems as a whole. Karst water resources supply nearly 25% of the world's population with drinking water (Ford & Williams, 2007) and are characterized with particular heterogeneity and anisotropy of structural and hydraulic features. However, specific and complex hydrogeological properties make karst aquifers particularly vulnerable to contamination, while their investigation is quite challenging. The occurrence of various EC compounds in the karst water environment is unraveled through many recent studies. This study is focused on a typical Dinaric karstic catchment of Jadro and Žrnovnica springs (250-500 km2), which supplies water to the city of Split and its wider surroundings. Hydrogeological field investigation is being conducted on spring, surface, and groundwater for analyses of EC, major ions and stable isotopes, including in situ measurements of main physio- chemical parameters. The aim is to identify the main EC from the group of PPCP, their behavior and fate through transport and hydrological modeling, but also to gain insights into the complex hydrogeological properties of this karstic catchment.

emerging contaminants ; karst ; pharmaceuticals and personal care products ; Jadro ; Žrnovnica

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