Spatial distribution characteristics and analysis of groundwater pollution in the Palancia River Basin

Micro-organic contaminants in groundwater harm the environment and human health. They result from current human activities and past pollution. A study in the Palancia River Basin examined the occurrence and concentrations of these contaminants in water. In this study, 10 groundwater and 10 surface water samples were collected, analyzing a total of 100 contaminants for this study. Carbamazepine and caffeine indicate urban pollution, while pesticides and their metabolites (terbuthylazine, desethylterbuthylazine, metolachlor, simazine, propazine) mainly signal crop production. All chosen MO were found in both the aquifer and Palancia River. In groundwater, the most common were terbutylazine (detected in 50 % with a max concentration of 101.0 ng L⁻¹), carbamazepine (40%, 50.0 ng L⁻¹), and desethylterbuthylazine (35%, 15.0 ng L⁻¹). In addition to the selected contaminants identified as indicators of pollution, up to 18 different pesticides, 12 pharmaceuticals, and various industrial-origin products were found. Comparisons with global studies suggest concentrations reflect the specific land use in recharge areas.

Acknowledgements.- This work has been supported by Grant PID2022-138556OB-C22 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”