Environmental exposure of anthropogenic micropollutants in the Prut River at the Romanian-Moldavian border: a snapshot in the lower Danube river basin

Abstract

The Prut River, the second longest tributary of the Danube river, was investigated for a wide range of anthropogenic organic pollutants to fill the data gap on environmental contamination in eastern European surface waters. In this study, the occurrence of a wide range of organic pollutants was measured along the transboundary Prut River, between Sculeni and Branza in 2010-2012. Using two different analytical methods, gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry, over 300 compounds were screened for and 88 compounds were determined in the Prut River. In general, the chemicals occurred at low levels. At the last sampling site upstream of the confluence with the Danube river at Branza, the highest average concentrations (≥ 100 ng L) were determined for the artificial sweetener acesulfame, the pharmaceuticals metformin, 4-acetamidoantipyrene, and 4,4,5,8-tetramethylchroman-2-ol, the antioxidants 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, 3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisol, and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-toluene, the personal care products HHCB (galaxolide), 4-phenyl-benzophenone, and octyl dimethyl-p-aminobenzoic acid, the industrial chemical diphenylsulfone, and the sterol cholesterol. Low concentrations of agricultural pesticides occurred in the catchment. At Branza, the total accumulated load of all measured compounds was calculated to be almost 19 kg day. In comparison to the Rhine River, the loads in the Prut, determined with same LC-HRMS method for the same set of analytes, were two orders of magnitude lower. Discharge of wastewater without proper treatment from the city of Iasi in the Jijia catchment (Romania) as well as from the city of Cahul (Moldova) revealed a distinct increase in concentrations and loads in the Prut at Frasinesti and Branza. Thus, an implementation of wastewater treatment capacities in the Prut River basin would considerably reduce the loads of micropollutants from urban point sources.

Emerging and Persistent Pollutants in the Aquatic Ecosystems of the Lower Danube Basin and North West Black Sea Region—A Review

“…Considering the studies on the Lower Danube River basin, the concentration of frequently monitored compounds in the surface water ranged as follows: carbamazepine 3.94-945 ng/L; diclofenac 0.8-255 ng/L; sulfamethoxazole 30-204 ng/L; trimethoprim 0.8-223 ng/L; ibuprofen 3.32-346 ng/L (Figure 2). Concentrations exceeding-EQS of carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, diclofenac, and erythromycin were found in the Danube tributaries such as Morava river [38], Argeş river [10,44,49], Mureş river [51], and Jijia river [53], in sites that are heavily impacted by municipal or industrial wastewater discharges. Thus, the highest concentrations of carbamazepine (945 ng/L), sulfamethoxazole (204 ng/L) and diclofenac (255 ng/L) were reported in the Arges River, highly affected by the municipal and industrial discharges of the capital of Romania, the city of Bucharest.…”

Sustainable Alternative Routes versus Linear Economy and Resources Degradation in Eastern Romania

“…Consumption of water resources without proper sanitation facilities and wastewater treatment plants is a major environmental threat particularly in rural areas where drinking water sources are still reliant on wells [28]. As an example, wastewater discharged via Jijia catchment (Romania) and at Cahul (Republic of Moldova) increases micropollutant levels of the Prut River in the downstream sector [29]. River ecosystems are exposed to chemical pollution, which raises further concerns about food contamination [30].…”

Releases of Fire-Derived Contaminants from Polymer Pipes Made of Polyvinyl Chloride

“…In all three cases, the sources of this contaminant were respectively linked to plastic conduits for the flow of maple syrup from the trees to the collector vessel, the plastic container for the ophthalmic solutions, and the plastic waste discarded into the Prut River. There is no published or online toxicological information related to 7,9-di-tert-butyl-1-oxaspiro(4,5)deca-6,9-diene-2,8-dione but it was reported as a transformation product of Irganox 1010, which is commonly used as an antioxidant additive in polymer pipes used in water distribution [15].…”