Orals: Tue, 29 Apr | Room 2.31
Antibiotic resistance is increasingly jeopardising the effectiveness of prevention and medical treatment of an increasing number of infectious diseases and is causing a high number of premature deaths worldwide. By now, it is widely recognised that the release of antibiotics into the environment via production wastewater discharged from the pharmaceutical industry constitutes an important factor. Evidently, tackling such point sources through appropriate treatment of production wastewater would be a decisive step towards achieving a substantial reduction in antibiotic pollution and consequently in a reduction of occurrences of resistant pathogens. The here presented pilot study addresses the overall feasibility of implementing maximum permitted API concentrations in production wastewater and how to verify compliance. Wastewater from 19 production sites from Europe, India and China has been investigated. The sites selected previously agreed to comply with the PNEC values for certain antibiotics in their wastewater and to permit independent inspections. In addition, wherever possible, supplementary environmental investigations were conducted in water bodies adjacent to the production sites.
So far, > 27 different antibiotics have been detected, some of them repeatedly and at several sampling locations. Antibiotic concentrations exceeding PNEC limits were found at ten production sites - both in wastewater samples and in affected environmental samples. Maximum environmental concentrations ranged from 0.1 µg/l up to 18.5 mg/l, wastewater concentrations from 0.1 µg/L to 22.5 µg/L. In the total number of environmental water samples analysed, more than 60 % of antibiotic concentrations exceeded the ecotoxicological PNEC value, whereas no reliable, scientifically derived effect threshold was available for other antibiotics in these samples.
The results of our study confirm and quantify that wastewater from pharmaceutical production sites, as well as surface runoff and thus the general handling of active substances at these sites, contribute significantly to high concentrations of antibiotics in the environment and thus to the potential emergence of antibiotic resistance. Moreover, in view of the current intention to regulate the emissions of antimicrobial substances via the environmental risk assessment for human pharmaceuticals, it should be borne in mind that an effective system for verifying the values or explanations provided by the companies is required.
How to cite: aus der Beek, T., Karges, U., Springmann, P., Hein, A., Gildemeister, D., and Kühnen, U.: Aquatic pollution from antibiotics production sites - evaluation of occurrences in wastewater, runoff and water bodies, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15470, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15470, 2025.
Pharmaceuticals are inadequately removed by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), allowing their residues to contaminate the environment and pose potential risks. This study investigates the occurrence, removal efficiency, and environmental risks of 16 pharmaceuticals in three WWTPs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Seasonal variations and the leaching behavior of these compounds when wastewater is applied to soil were also examined using laboratory soil column experiments.
A total of 144 wastewater samples over 12 months and 80 soil column samples were collected and analyzed. Wastewater samples were processed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), while soil samples were analyzed using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with LC-MS/MS. Of the 16 pharmaceuticals, 10 were detected in WWTP influents and 5 in effluents. Caffeine and acetaminophen were the most abundant (>1000 µg/L), followed by ciprofloxacin, metformin, and others (<1000 µg/L). Baclofen, reported for the first time in the environment, was detected in influents at 0.33–2.82 µg/L. Larger WWTPs (H and M) showed higher pharmaceutical levels than the smaller plant (KSU). Effluent concentrations for the 5 detected compounds did not exceed 34 µg/L.
Pharmaceutical concentrations exhibited seasonal variations, particularly in influents during autumn and winter. Mass loadings in larger WWTPs were significantly higher than in the smaller plant (p ≤ 0.5). Average removal efficiencies for pharmaceuticals exceeded 70%, with caffeine and acetaminophen almost completely removed (99%). Baclofen showed a removal efficiency of 81–97%, correlating with ambient air temperature but only weakly with TSS removal. Removal rates were consistent across WWTPs, despite differences in tertiary treatment processes.
Environmental risk assessments revealed high to moderate risks for most detected compounds, particularly antibiotics like ofloxacin. Effluents also posed ecological risks, highlighting the need for better management of pharmaceutical discharges to reduce environmental impacts.
Soil column experiments showed most pharmaceuticals had a high affinity for soil particles, accumulating in the top 5 cm and not migrating to groundwater, except for trace levels of caffeine and cephalexin in leachate. This suggests limited groundwater contamination potential under natural conditions.
This research provides critical insights into the occurrence, behavior, and risks of pharmaceuticals in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the urgent need for regulations on wastewater quality and emerging contaminants. By identifying key risks and removal inefficiencies, the study supports efforts to minimize pharmaceutical pollution and protect environment and human health.
How to cite: Alharbi, O. A., Jarvis, E., Galani, A., Thomaidis, N. S., Nika, M.-C., and Chapman, D. V.: Emissions and transport of pharmaceutical residues from three wastewater treatment plants in Saudi Arabia and the associated risk for the aquatic environment, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1461, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1461, 2025.
Quantifying contaminant inputs from onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) to surface waters is needed in many watersheds to inform water quality management programs. This quantification is challenging due to the distributed locations of OWTSs across rural watersheds and uncertainties regarding the fate of the various wastewater contaminants in the environment. The objectives of this study were to i) identify the dominant pathways via which contaminants from OWTS reach streams, and ii) evaluate whether contaminant loads reaching streams from OWTS varies between watersheds with different physical and socio-economic characteristics, and between dry and wet weather conditions. These objectives were addressed by combining geospatial mapping, field investigations, and statistical analyses with the study focused on watersheds in Ontario, Canada. Detailed stream sampling was conducted in four watersheds with human wastewater tracers including artificial sweeteners (acesulfame, saccharin, cyclamate, sucralose) and microbial source tracking markers (HF183 and human mitochondrial markers) used to untangle the pathways via which OWTS-derived contaminants may be transported to streams. In addition, widespread sampling was conducted across 53 watersheds to assess the influence of physical and socio-economic characteristics on OWTS-derived contaminant inputs to streams. The data indicate that more contaminants reach streams during wet weather conditions and contributing pathways include groundwater transport as well as more rapid pathways including residential and agricultural tile drains. For more conservative contaminants, the amounts of contaminants reaching streams were significantly higher in watersheds with older households and with low topographic wetness index, but for less conservative contaminants other factors including the distance between OWTS and streams may be important. The findings of this study are needed to inform OWTS best management practices and to improve contaminant load estimates to streams.
How to cite: Robinson, C., Roy, J., Jobity, C., Angus, E., Gao, Y., and Edge, T.: Using a multi-tracer approach to assess wastewater contaminant inputs to surface waters from onsite wastewater treatment systems , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14077, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14077, 2025.
The number of agricultural catchments covered by plastic greenhouses is growing worldwide. Greenhouses inherently modify the hydrological processes driving the typical contamination flow paths of open field agriculture. Studies investigating the impacts of greenhouses on surface water quality of small catchments with mixed land use are just emerging. In this study, we focused on a plastic greenhouse district in southern Italy of about 10 km2, mainly used to produce leafy vegetables. There, we collected grab samples and time-integrated passive samples every two weeks for one year, upstream and downstream of the district. In order to gain a broad knowledge of the impacts of anthropogenic activities on water quality, we performed a non-targeted screening on the samples analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry.
We found that time-integrated samples are generally richer in detected and identified chemical features than grab samples. On the other hand, grab sampling was more accurate from a quantitative perspective. This highlighted a relevant tradeoff between the two sampling strategies.
Furthermore, we found that the number and the concentration of contaminants, i.e., pesticides and some pharmaceuticals, typically decreased from upstream to downstream. This suggested that contaminants were already present in the incoming water and emphasized the lack of relevant contamination sources from the greenhouse district to the drainage network.
Water quality issues at the upstream site in the summer period, revealed by the non-targeted screening, were putatively attributed to an undiscovered leakage of untreated urban wastewater. The leakage was also supported by an increase in inorganic phosphate concentration from 1 mg/L to 10 mg/L at the upstream location, and eventually confirmed by independent chemical analyses of sea and river water carried out by the regional environmental protection agency.
This study represents the first exploratory campaign to assess the quality of drainage water in the selected greenhouse district, highlighting that the local horticultural greenhouse production does not impact water safety. In this light, drainage can be stored and safely reused in agriculture at the condition that untreated wastewater is promptly detected and diverted. Follow-up studies shall focus on the quality of leachates and groundwater.
How to cite: la Cecilia, D., Giorgi, J., Pettenuzzo, S., Bogialli, S., Maino, D., Camporese, M., and Roverso, M.: Non-target analysis of grab and passive samples from drainage water of a plastic greenhouse district in southern Italy, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8354, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8354, 2025.
The environmental risks posed by polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) associated with increasing oil and mineral mining activities have become a major concern in Alberta. Due to their diversity and complex behavior, basin-scale surface water PACs simulation based on traditional modeling tools is restricted, thereby hindering decision-making. To address this, we designed an integrated simulation framework that combines predictive relationships among PACs with mechanism-based models and implemented it in the Athabasca River basin (ARB) in Alberta. The predictive relationships were obtained through a preliminary analysis based on principal component analysis, clustering, and regression. For mechanism-based simulation, a Python-based Soil Water Assessment Tool-Load Calculator (SWAT-LC) was developed and coupled with SWAT and the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program 8 (WASP8) to describe the fate and transport of PACs in both the terrestrial and aquatic systems. Our results show that: 1) Out of 76 PACs studied, two clusters were identified, including one with 66 PACs exhibiting seasonal patterns, and another with 10 PACs marked by significant uncertainties. Chrysene and naphthalene were chosen from the respective cluster as representatives for mechanism-based modeling; 2) The established mechanism-based model demonstrated overall acceptable to satisfactory performance for chrysene at different sites (NSE=-0.28~0.33, d=0.34~0.71, PBIAS=0.09%~36.68%), although was less successful in describing the fluctuations of naphthalene; 3) Evidence indicates that seasonalities in PACs are petrogenic and are mainly driven by soil-water processes, while surface wash-off in the oil sands region and wet depositions lead to concentration spikes in river water; 4) The predictive relationships of the other 74 PACs are robust along the Athabasca River mainstem, showing great potential for facilitating rapid decision-making in the future.
How to cite: Wang, Q., Arlos, M., Wang, J., and Hicks, K.: Integrated Simulation of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in the Athabasca River Basin, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-10736, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-10736, 2025.
Streams worldwide suffer from water quality degradation to an extent that their ecological function has been severely impaired. In Mediterranean climates, runoff generated during short, intense winter rainstorms becomes a major pathway for transporting micropollutants from agricultural areas, especially during early storms when agricultural soils are often bare and most vulnerable to erosion. To address the global imperative of mitigating water pollution, effective strategies are required to pinpoint priority agricultural pollution sources and advance nature-based source control. A watershed-scale sampling approach was designed to characterize stormflows in the Kishon Basin, Israel and identify polluting compounds with high concentrations, aimed at tracing contamination ‘hotspots’ to specific sub basins. Existing methods often miss variation in hydrochemistry dynamics during storm events and focus only on dissolved chemicals. We present an innovative tool to characterize sediment-bound pollutants, and combine this with conventional grab sampling and passive samplers, to better represent the whole storm hydrograph. This study investigated polar organic pollutants, including agricultural pesticides and pharmaceuticals derived from treated wastewater used for irrigation. Passive sampler results identified a total of 169 pesticides based on suspect screening and quantified 98, with an average of 32 different pesticides identified in each sampling location. We identified 59 pesticides, 15 pharmaceuticals, and 22 metals using the grab sampling method, with 25 pesticides that were identified and quantified in all three methods. The sediment trap results identified that only one of the 19 tributaries contributed heavy metals to the Kishon River. Pesticides banned for over a decade, which degrade quickly, were detected throughout the basin, suggesting illegal continued applications. This approach enabled improved understanding of specific chemical transport methods and clear identification of priority tributaries and their chemical contributions, advancing a new approach to watershed management. Application of study findings will support development of strategic plans to improve the farm-stream interface, conserve soil resources, protect water quality, facilitate source control and provide crucial support for decision-makers formulating intervention strategies, demonstrating a model for a national watershed monitoring program.
How to cite: Rein, F. O., Fones, G., and Grabic, R.: Innovative tools for watershed-scale water quality monitoring to identify and quantify micropollutant hotspots in Mediterranean climate first-flush storm waters , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20700, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20700, 2025.
Monitoring the quality of water resources is the basis for protecting the environmental and human health from the adverse effects of diffuse and point source pollution. Organic and inorganic trace substances, also known as micropollutants, usually occur in surface waters in very low concentrations (nanograms or micrograms per litre). These very low concentrations require considerable analytical and therefore financial effort for monitoring. This limits the number of samples that can be analysed in monitoring programmes. In addition, the micropollutants relevant to water bodies belong to different groups, which differ in terms of their sources, emission pathways, transport dynamics and environmental behaviour in the catchments and rivers. Such complexity and variability pose significant challenges to effective monitoring. With the proposed extension of the EU Priority Substances List in 2022, the monitoring of micropollutants will become a higher priority, and therefore an accurate reflection of the situation in the river is crucial for effective monitoring of the quality of the EU's water resources. To address these challenges and provide a solid basis for future monitoring programs, a study was conducted to investigate the mean and maximum concentrations and annual loads observed in water bodies during a one-year water body monitoring programme and how these differ if different strategies for sampling are used.
A one-year programme applying three sampling methods, was implemented in parallel at two sites in the catchment of the Wulka river in Austria. Both monitoring sites are characterised by an agricultural catchment area, but only one is heavily influenced by discharges from urban wastewater treatment plants. Grab samples were taken every 14 days, while integrated composite samples were collected continuously over a 14-day period using two parallel-operated automated cooled samplers. These integrated composite samples utilized both time-paced (CTCV) and flow-paced (VTCV) sampling techniques. Four groups of trace contaminants were selected to represent different emission and transport dynamics in river catchments: trace metals (total and dissolved), pharmaceuticals, per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and pesticides.
For substances that are predominantly discharged continuously, such as widely used pharmaceuticals or dissolved metals, an initial assessment of the annual average concentrations can be made using twelve grab samples without major systematic deviations. Composite sampling methods, such as CTCV and VTCV, are advantageous in the case of temporal variability of emissions and riverine concentrations. Seasonal substances such as pesticides require special monitoring through extended composite sampling. Substances emitted during specific events (e.g. some pesticides, some PFAS, total metals) are difficult to record using grab samples. Composite sampling methods offer significant advantages by integrating samples during discharge-driven pollution events. An alternative approach is to grab samples specifically during such events using stratified sampling. If substances are emitted via pulses for only a short period of time (in this case study, this is likely to be the case for the insecticide lindane), these substances may not be detected at all by grab sampling. In such cases, the use of composite samples is necessary to ensure detection.
How to cite: Weber, N., Lutterbach, J., Hufnagl, C., Kittlaus, S., Saracevic, E., Kozlica, K., Milačič Ščančar, R., Krampe, J., Zessner, M., and Zoboli, O.: Monitoring of micropollutants in rivers: Are national sampling strategies applied in the EU fit for purpose?, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5896, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5896, 2025.
Addressing pharmaceutical contamination in urban wastewater involves more than enhancing wastewater treatment plant operations. Addressing contamination at its source remains the gold standard in environmental remediation, enabling more efficient and targeted mitigation efforts [1]. Effective management of risks associated with transformation by-products requires interventions at the contamination source, alongside innovative applications of adsorption technology within a circular economy framework [2]. This study aims to fill gaps in the literature by exploring the potential of desorbing and recovering adsorbates, specifically focusing on granular activated carbon's adsorption of two commonly used iodinated contrast media (ICMs): the non-ionic iopamidol (IOP) and the ionic diatrizoate (DTA), essential pharmaceuticals of environmental significance as contaminants of emerging concern [3]. Our methodology includes initial adsorption onto granular activated carbon followed by separation and extraction of the pharmaceuticals from the spent adsorbent material. We employ a combination of physical and chemical techniques to enhance removal and recovery processes, ultimately developing a robust extraction protocol for these contrast agents. To ensure practical relevance, experiments were conducted using both ultrapure water solutions of pure ICM and a laboratory-simulated artificial urine matrix. The artificial urine matrix represents a more complex and realistic aqueous environment, aiming to simulate scenarios where ICMs are extracted from patients' urine post-imaging procedures. From this complex matrix, upwards of 83.14 ±8.46% pharmaceutical recovery could be achieved with the best available methods.
[1] F. Russo, L. Nemer, M. Martuzzi e F. Zambon, «Keeping our water clean: the case of water contamination in the Veneto Region, Italy,» World Health Organization, Copenhagen, DK, 2017.
[2] S. E. Duirk, C. Lindell, C. C. Cornelison, J. L. Kormos, T. A. Ternes, M. Attene-Ramos, J. Osiol, E. D. Wagner, M. J. Plewa e S. D. Richardson, «Formation of Toxic Iodinated Disinfection By-Products from Compounds Used in Medical Imaging,» Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 45, pp. 6845-6854, 2011.
[3] A. Sengar e A. Vijayanandan, «Comprehensive review on iodinated X-ray contrast media: Complete fate, occurrence, and formation of disinfection byproducts,» Science of the Total Environment, vol. 769, 2021.
How to cite: Seccia, S.: A Circular Economy Strategy for Mitigating Pharmaceutical Contamination, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-9021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9021, 2025.
This study investigates removal of iodinated contrast media (ICMs) agents from water using modified clay materials. ICMs pose a significant environmental challenge due to their high stability and resistance to conventional treatment methods. Their global annual consumption exceeds 12 × 106 kg and are characterized by near-complete excretion within 24 hours of medical administration [1,2]. Recent advances in surfactant-modified organoclays have demonstrated their exceptional potential as sustainable remediation materials for emerging contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), antibiotic compounds, and other persistent organic pollutants [3,4]. No such study has investigated their applicability for the removal of ICMs. Here, we synthesized and investigated three montmorillonite-based adsorbents: pristine montmorillonite (Mt), single-modified montmorillonite functionalized with cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (Mt-CTAC), and dual-modified montmorillonite incorporating both cetyltrimethylammonium chloride and anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactants (Mt-CTAC/SDS). Batch adsorption experiments using Iohexol as a model ICM compound demonstrates superior removal efficiency for Mt-CTAC/SDS as compared to unmodified Mt and single-modified Mt-CTAC across various concentrations (5-150 mg/L). The dual-modified clay shows enhanced adsorption capacity, removal efficiencies reaching up to 90% under optimal conditions. Fixed-bed column studies are conducted using Mt-CTAC/SDS at different clay-to-sand ratios (0.05:1, 0.1:1, and 0.3:1), investigating the effects of flow rate (0.1-2.5 mL/min) and initial ICM concentration on solute breakthrough behavior. The ensuing breakthrough curves show that increasing clay content in the composite improves removal capacity, higher flow rates consistently leading to earlier breakthrough. Our findings highlight the potential of dual-modified montmorillonite as an effective adsorbent for ICM removal from water systems, providing insights for scaling up this treatment approach in environmental remediation applications.
References:
- Sengar, A., Vijayanandan, A., 2021. Comprehensive review on iodinated X-ray contrast media: Complete fate, occurrence, and formation of disinfection byproducts. Science of the total environment 769, 144846.
- Dekker, H.M., Stroomberg, G.J., Prokop, M., 2022. Tackling the increasing contamination of the water supply by iodinated contrast media. Insights into Imaging 13, 30.
- Biswas, B., Warr, L.N., Hilder, E.F., Goswami, N., Rahman, M.M., Churchman, J.G., Vasilev, K., Pan, G. and Naidu, R., 2019. Biocompatible functionalisation of nanoclays for improved environmental remediation. Chemical Society Reviews, 48(14), pp.3740-3770.
- Chen, B., Evans, J.R., Greenwell, H.C., Boulet, P., Coveney, P.V., Bowden, A.A. and Whiting, A., 2008. A critical appraisal of polymer–clay nanocomposites. Chemical Society Reviews, 37(3), pp.568-594.
How to cite: Khan, A. U.: Removal of Iodinated Contrast Media Using Surfactant-Modified Montmorillonite Clay: Batch and Column Studies, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11712, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11712, 2025.
Accurate prediction of subsurface flow under uncertain, spatially varying conditions remains a core challenge in hydrogeology. This, in turn, has great impacts on our ability to predict and control contaminant transport in subsurface water bodies and control the dynamics of water quality. This work extends a Physics-Informed Neural Network (PINN) framework to incorporate 1) Function-Guided (Parametric Stochasticity) and 2) Latent-Encoded (Generated Stochasticity) heterogeneities. In the former, a parametric function with random inputs generates multiple heterogeneous media, enabling transfer learning to sequentially refine network parameters across different realizations. The second pathway employs the decoder of a pretrained generative autoencoder—trained on numerous Gaussian Random Field realizations—to embed random hydraulic conductivity fields. Illustrated through a two-dimensional Darcy flow case study, the method is broadly applicable to a range of parametric PDE problems in hydrology, engineering, and environmental sciences. In particular the model can also be employed to effectively characterize contaminant transport scenarios, in the presence of uncertain model parameters, such as dispersivity or sorption properties. The model can also be employed to represent specific uncertainties related to the contamimant source location or other features affecting the space-time contaminant plume evolution. Results underscore the advantages of staged learning strategies for high-dimensional parametric PDEs, offering an efficient, physics-consistent tool for hydrological modeling and resource management.
How to cite: Panahi, M.: A Transfer-Learning PINN Framework to Simulate Fluid Flow and Contaminant Transport Under Uncertainty, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-12117, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-12117, 2025.
Modeling environmental concentrations of plant protection products typically includes runoff, drainage, and leaching processes, which are well represented in recent landscape scale modeling approaches. However, the modeling of spray drift at the landscape scale is challenging and often simplified or neglected due to high computational efforts. For example, spray drift is often implemented by external calculation of drift curves with the pesticide load added directly to the channel network. Although this approach enables in general a basic landscape-level spray drift estimation, it lacks the spatio-temporal details such as the distribution of drift in relation to other landscape elements (e.g., water bodies, non-target areas). To address these limitations, we developed the Droplet and Atmospheric Dispersion drift (DAD-drift) model which integrates mechanistic droplet model, a micrometeorological model, and a three-dimensional Gaussian puff model designed for ground application. DAD-drift considers the physical principles of spray drift, the spatial relationship between application areas and to non-target areas, as well as local weather conditions at the landscape scale. Its modular design allows for easy integration with other models.
We combined, a high-resolution SWAT+ model of an agriculturally dominated catchment in Germany with DAD-drift to enhance our understanding of pesticide transport pathways and to assess the different exposure routes of plant protection products. Flow observation data are used for hard calibration, supported by additional soft calibration data (i.e., evaporation, surface runoff, subsurface drainage, groundwater recharge, total runoff). Agricultural practices, i.e. crop rotations with catch crops, tillage operations, and plant protection product application timing are adopted from a 5-year data set from 2019 to 2023. Results indicated that transport via spray drift is significant for exposure at the landscape scale, with the dominant transport pathway varying considerably based on individual substance properties and application timing.
The model setup can be used to identify critical source areas and to optimize the application of plant protection products. In addition, the effectiveness of risk mitigation practices, such as drift reduction nozzles and no-spray buffer strips, can be assessed. Furthermore, linking the exposure dynamics predicted by the SWAT+ model with effect modeling approaches is feasible.
How to cite: Fuchs, M., Gebler, S., and Lorke, A.: Estimating high resolution exposure of an agriculturally dominated catchment with DAD-drift model and SWAT+, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1578, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1578, 2025.
The sustainable management of escalating volumes of organic waste, alongside the mitigation of air, soil, and water pollution, presents a critical global environmental challenge. Agriculture plays a pivotal role in addressing these issues. Within this context, the current study investigates the valorisation of abundant agricultural by-products by transforming them into activated carbon (AC), a versatile material for remediating water contaminated with both organic and inorganic pollutants.
Rice husks (RH) and almond shells (AS) were selected as feedstock owing to their availability and transformative potential. They underwent pyrolysis and subsequently activated using chemical (potassium hydroxide, KOH) and physical (water vapour) methods to enhance their adsorption properties. The characterisation of these materials revealed favourable physicochemical properties, including an alkaline pH, substantial water retention capacity, high carbon content, and an elevated iodine adsorption index. Physical activation of pyrolysed RH significantly increased the specific surface area (SSA-BET), achieving values up to 600 m²/g.
The efficacy of the derived ACs was assessed through adsorption experiments targeting pharmaceutical contaminants, specifically anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics. ACs derived from RH achieved complete removal (up to 100%) of these persistent pollutants, performing comparably to commercial activated carbons. Furthermore, the study explored the adsorption of heavy metals, confirming the efficacy of these materials in sequestering inorganic pollutants from aqueous systems. These findings highlight the potential of agricultural waste-derived ACs for dual-purpose applications in treating both organic and inorganic contaminants in wastewater.
Acknowledgements:
This study received financial support in the framework of the Project RICERES4CHANGE (grant TED2021-130964B-I00), by the Spanish Ministry of Science, the Spanish Agency of Research (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and the European Union (Next Generation EU/PRTR funding). A. Sánchez-Martín thanks The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICIN) for her contract as Technical Support Personnel (PTA2021-020000-I). M. Arenas and Sergio Gómez are thanked for this technical and analytical support.
How to cite: Sánchez-Martín, Á. M., Pérez Dalí, S., Undabeytia López, T., Marquez Moreno, J., Dieguez-Alonso, A., Behrendt, F., Almuiña-Villar, H., Murillo, R., Campos, P., and De la Rosa, J. M.: Valorization of agricultural residues through their transformation into sustainable filters for water treatment, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-3472, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3472, 2025.
Chemicals in the aquatic environment can be harmful to biota and may cause toxic risks to the aquatic ecosystems. A high number of these chemicals originate from point sources (households, manufacturing and industries). A subset of the substances is permanently released and the load is proportional to the number of people connected to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), while other substances show higher variable emission patterns. Especially at low discharges of the receiving waters the toxic risk may increase due to reduced dilution.
We test the hypothesis that the accumulated urban discharge fraction (UDF) in a river network is a robust proxy for the toxic risk induced by discharged chemicals from point sources.
To prove this hypothesis we combined available catchment data like stream network organisation and spatially related WWTPs, the amount of wastewater and discharge data as well as data from a European reference mixture data set containing concentrations of chemicals regularly found in European wastewater treatment plant effluents (Beckers et al. 2023). Based on these data we calculated mixing concentrations and toxic units for 80 chemicals, among them pesticides, biocides and pharmaceuticals, besides other typical wastewater-related compounds, such as sweeteners and corrosion inhibitors.
Measured data (WFD, 2015 - 2021) at 87 stations in the Federal State of Thuringia (Germany) were compared with the modelled concentrations and showed highly significant correlations for pharmaceuticals and no correlation with pesticides. We conclude, that our modelling approach using UDF as a proxy supports the identification of different sources of compounds occurring jointly as mixtures in aquatic systems and by this supports a source oriented pollution and risk management.
References
Beckers, L.-M., Altenburger, R., Brack, W., Escher, B.I., Hackermüller, J., Hassold, E., Illing, G., Krauss, M., Krüger, J., Michaelis, P., Schüttler, A., Stevens, S. and Busch, W. (2023) 'A data-derived reference mixture representative of European wastewater treatment plant effluents to complement mixture assessment', Environment International, 179, 108155, available: http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.108155.
How to cite: Büttner, O., Finckh, S., Borchardt, D., Brack, W., and Busch, W.: Seamless forward assessment of toxic risks in river networks for mixtures of chemicals originating from wastewater treatment plant effluents, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8422, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8422, 2025.
The extraction of mineral resources in the mining industry, such as quarry development, processing of non-ferrous metals, and the formation of waste dumps, presents significant environmental challenges. These processes generate acid mine drainage contaminated with heavy metals, which have substantial adverse effects on the environment.
For this study, we selected industrial wastewater generated by the mining and processing operations of the "RMG Group" in Bolnisi district, Georgia. The research aimed to identify a modern method to remove residual heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Fe, Cd, Mn, Se) from chemically treated wastewater through phytomigration. The chosen method for this purpose was phytoremediation.
During the research, laboratory analyses were conducted on water samples collected from the Mashavera River—the recipient of treated wastewater—during the years 2022-2024. The heavy metal concentrations in these samples were compared with those obtained from studies conducted in 2018-2020. Despite the influence of climate change and the operation of a small hydroelectric power plant in the discharge section (resulting in decreased river discharge), the results showed that the average concentration of heavy metals decreased by 18.89% in 2022-2024 compared to 2018-2021.
For phytoremediation studies in 2024, wetlands impacted by industrial pollution near the mining quarry were selected. From these sites, plant species from five genera were identified. In wetland N1, located 2,928 meters (direct distance) from the quarry, four plant genera were collected. In wetland N2, situated 2,620 meters from the quarry near the tailings pond base, three plant genera were identified. For control samples, wetland N3 in Upper Karabulakhi, located 25,260 meters from the quarry, provided two plant genera. Based on research and analysis, the species selected for phytoremediation studies were: (1) Typha latifolia L. and (2) Arundo L. It is noteworthy that plants in the anthropogenic wetland near the tailings pond continued to grow despite the highly toxic and polluted environment, where the pH was as low as 3.42 and heavy metal concentrations were elevated.
The research is ongoing, and the findings from analyses of plant samples (roots, stems, leaves, and flowers) provide valuable information for the future development of the study.
If satisfactory results are achieved from pilot experiments on the phytoremediation of residual heavy metals from wastewater, the research will lay the groundwork for improving water quality in both surface and groundwater systems.
Furthermore, the green technological outcomes of this research could be highly beneficial for addressing similar environmental challenges in other industrial enterprises. Discovering new potential for aquaculture species may also lead to the development of cost-effective and profitable phytotechnologies for mining operations in the future.
How to cite: Khachapuridze, K., Avkopashvili, G., and Mchedlishvili, •.: Phytomigration of Residual Heavy Metals from Technogenically Contaminated Treated Waters, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15417, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15417, 2025.
Our work targets mapping of pesticides application rates within the European Union at 250m spatial resolution. Source data include global estimates of pesticide inputs, high resolution crop maps and pesticide usage reported by EUROSTAT official figures. The previously published global pesticide application rates in PEST-CHEMGRIDS are used as a first guess estimate. This is then corrected using a calibration dataset gathered from pesticide use in agriculture. The estimation of the applied mass by country and crop type is then combined with high resolution crop maps. The procedure explicitly accounts data quality and uncertainty through on a Maximum Likelihood estimation procedure. This data product features detailed spatial distributions of pesticide inputs, facilitating evaluation of pesticide fate and transport, biogeochemical transformations as well as environmental risk assessment. The poster will focus on key uncertainties and data gaps that constitute key challenges in the quantification of pesticides inputs.
How to cite: Porta, G., Casse, L., Manzoni, A., Riva, M., Maggi, F., and Guadagnini, A.: Spatial mapping of pesticides application rate in the European Union, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16226, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16226, 2025.
Veterinary antibiotics, widely used in agriculture, are emerging contaminants with significant implications for water quality and ecosystem health. This study investigates the presence and heritage of antibiotics and other pollutants in groundwater within the Naizin watershed (~5 km²) in Brittany (western France), a region marked by intensive agricultural activity. Field measurements revealed the occurrence of veterinary antibiotics in surface water and groundwater, alongside other pollutants. Additionally, CFCs and SF6 gas tracers provided groundwater age estimates ranging from 20 to 30 years, suggesting potential long-term heritage effects. A particle-tracking approach using HydroModPy, a calibrated MODFLOW-coupled groundwater flow model, was implemented to complement this study. Hydraulic conductivity and porosity, determined from hydrological characterization and calibration of the watershed, were incorporated to estimate residence times. The simulated groundwater residence times closely matched those inferred from tracer data, strengthening the linkage between field measurements and model outputs. These results highlight the persistence of pollutants such as antibiotics and underscore the need for integrated field and modelling approaches to assess contaminant load and transport in agricultural catchments. This study offers critical insights into the interactions between anthropogenic activities, pollutant dynamics, and groundwater quality, providing a foundation for improved water resource management and pollution mitigation strategies.
How to cite: Bagagnan, R. S., Vautier, C., Laverman, A., and Abhervé, R.: Assessing the Groundwater Heritage of Veterinary Antibiotics: Insights from Field Measurements and Modeling in an intensive agricultural watershed, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18289, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18289, 2025.
Soil and groundwater can be contaminated by various micropollutants if treated wastewater or surface water that has been contaminated by this source are used for irrigation. Another source of contamination can be sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants that is frequently used for soil enrichment. These contaminants can migrate through the soil environment and subsequently contaminate groundwater. Their leaching from soils and migration towards groundwater depends on the climatic conditions, properties of the vadose zone environment and behavior of a particular compound, i.e., its sorption onto soils and sediments, and stability in the environment. The Freundlich sorption isotherms were evaluated for twenty-one micropollutants (PPCPs, benzotriazoles, bishenols) and representative soils of the Czech Republic. Multiple linear regressions were used to derive equations for predicting the Freundlich sorption coefficient (KF) using the properties of tested soils. These equations, the soil map, and the database of soil properties were used to predict the KF value distributions within the Czech agricultural soils and subsequently to delineate classes of compounds’ mobility in the soil environment, i.e., mobility index. The dissipation and half-lives of all micropollutants were also evaluated for the representative Czech soils. This information was used to define compound’s stability index. General groundwater vulnerability map (i.e., distribution of the DRASTIC vulnerability index) was derived using the DRASTIC method. Next, specific groundwater vulnerability maps for each compound were obtained by combining the DRASTIC vulnerability index, mobility index and stability index. The resulting maps of specific groundwater vulnerability for selected compounds were confronted with the respective results of groundwater monitoring that is caried out by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. The work was supported by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, project No QK 23020018 and QL 24010384.
How to cite: Kodes, V., Kodesova, R., Fedorova, G., Kocarek, M., Fer, M., Svecova, H., Klement, A., Grabic, R., Nikodem, A., and Roztocilova, H.: Specific groundwater vulnerability maps for selected micropollutants, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19984, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19984, 2025.
In a European pesticide regulatory context, 1D models are recommended for leaching risk assessments to align with common European evaluation methodologies. However, it is well-known that real-world flow and transport of potential contaminants are rarely confined to 1D due to the ubiquitous heterogeneous geology.
In this study, we use a detailed field monitoring setup established through the Danish Pesticide Leaching Assessment Program to investigate the performance of tracer- and pesticide simulations in 1D, 2D, and 3D numerical models. Our approach involves hydrological monitoring and groundwater sampling for analyses of tracers and pesticides from a heavily instrumented agricultural field site on a glacial outwash plain.
Although the site is characterized as being homogeneously sandy, the monitoring reveals substantial spatial differences in both the compound detections and concentration magnitudes. This raises multiple questions about how to represent 3D field measurements (from different depths and different locations) in lower-dimensional models, including:
- Model simplifications: How do the assumptions inherent in 1D modeling affect the accuracy of leaching risk assessments for pesticides, particularly when accounting for spatial variability in hydrology and geology?
- Upscaling/downscaling: What are the implications of scaling field measurements to a 1D framework, and can such simplifications still adequately capture the critical transport processes observed in 2D and 3D environments?
- Regulatory implications: How might the insights gained from 2D and 3D simulations challenge or strengthen the current regulatory reliance on 1D modeling in Europe?
To address these questions, we use data from bromide tracer experiments and monitoring of the degradation product DMS following cyazofamid field applications. These data are represented in 1D, 2D, and 3D numerical modeling frameworks to evaluate the raised concerns.
How to cite: Karan, S. and Badawi, N.: Integrating field data and modeling: Dimensional perspectives on pesticide transport, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20401, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20401, 2025.
The presence of microplastics in drinking water has become an issue of growing concern, and there is a need for reliable and standardized methods to monitor their presence and impact. In the Danube River Basin (DRB), different countries employ a variety of instruments and approaches to deal with this challenge. Techniques such as FTIR and Raman spectroscopy are among the most commonly used due to their ability to provide detailed analysis and identification of plastic polymers. However, these methods come with drawbacks, including high costs, the need for specialized training, and their time-intensive nature. Other techniques, such as Py-GCMS and SEM, are also utilized, but their availability and application largely depend on the resources and priorities of each country.
A critical issue is the lack of standardization in monitoring microplastic across the region, while some countries possess modern, state-of-the-art equipment and , experienced laboratories, others are still in the process of building their capacity. Moreover, EU countries have to comply to the directive, while non-EU countries have no strict legislative framework. Comparing the results of microplastic detection is thus challenging at the regional scale and meaningful conclusions are hard to be drawn. For this reason, there's a strong drive toward standardized protocols that could get everyone on the same page, right from sample collection to sample preparation and analysis. However, the challenge extends beyond standardization of monitoring processes.
The more complex issue is how to bridge the gap between the nations with highly developed possibilities and countries which are just developing these capabilities. Collaboration is the keyword: share expertise, invest in training, and develop cheaper technologies. In the MicroDrink project, we developed the MicroDrink Knowledge Base (https://microdrink.wordpress.com/) which is an online open-access database providing comprehensive information on the existing sampling methods, analytical instruments, laboratory techniques, previous and ongoing projects, relevant legislation, guidelines, and laboratories offering microplastic analysis in the Danube region.
How to cite: Alqadi, M., Bordos, G., Prikler, B., Milanović, S., Vasić, L., Petrović, B., Selak, A., Boljat, I., Lukač Reberski, J., Brenčič, M., Torkar, A., Vidmar, I., Jelovčan, M., and Chiogna, G.: Addressing Microplastic Monitoring Challenges in Drinking Water Resources in the Danube River Basin: Towards Standardization and Capacity Building, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4389, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4389, 2025.
Recovering valuable water contaminants is a cornerstone of sustainable water management, addressing environmental challenges, and resource scarcity, and promoting sustainable resource management and circular economy principles. Among various techniques for contaminant sequestration and recovery, sorption-desorption methods stand out for their operational simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and high efficiency, while minimising harmful by-products during both removal and recovery processes. While sorption processes have been extensively studied, desorption dynamics remain underexplored despite their importance in recovering and recycling commercially valuable substances. Traditionally, dynamic sorption-desorption processes are studied using column experiments with effluent and solid surface analysis, nevertheless, these methods fail to spot pore-scale solid-fluid interactions. Moreover, studying pore-scale interfacial processes in soil is challenging due to the opacity and heterogeneity of soil environments. Overcoming these challenges demands innovative, multidisciplinary approaches to visualize and analyse these processes.
To advance the understanding of pore-scale desorption dynamics, this study introduces an innovative microfluidic approach for investigating contaminant desorption in clay-rich porous media. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channels were functionalised with transparent clay coatings to replicate the physicochemical properties of natural clay-rich soil environments. These clay-coated channels represent the complex, multi-scale, tortuous pore networks characteristic of heterogeneous clay-rich systems. However, creating stable coatings that endure flow conditions, replicate geomaterial properties, and enable pore-scale visualisation remains challenging. To address this, we proposed a solvent-free powder coating method combined with plasma and heat treatments, followed by the injection of a water-based solution to form a porous network of clay aggregates. This coating strategy supports the direct visualisation of fluid-solid interactions at pore scale under varying flow conditions, providing unique insights into contaminant recovery dynamics.
The proposed coating protocol effectively creates stable clay coatings on PDMS substrates under various flow conditions, ensuring reliable and reproducible observations for dynamic flow experiments. Flow and tracer experiments were conducted across a range of pore geometries and flow rates, which reveal the influence of the microscale flow attributes on desorption processes across various flow dynamics and porous geometries. The results demonstrate that desorption behaviour is intricately influenced by the interplay of flow dynamics and pore geometry. Higher flow rates were found to accelerate contaminant desorption, significantly reducing the time required for recovery, but often leaving higher residual contaminant concentrations. Therefore, increasing the flow rates does not always enhance recovery efficiency, as residual contaminant concentrations often remain higher under high flow rate conditions. Conversely, lower flow rates, though slower in achieving complete desorption, were found to result in a lower residual contaminant mass. These findings highlight a critical trade-off between recovery speed and total contaminant removal, thus indicating the importance of optimising flow conditions to balance recovery process efficiency and environmental footprint.
The insights gained hold significant potential for designing reactive porous filters with precise flow control, enabling more effective and sustainable remediation strategies, particularly for emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, and persistent pollutants. By optimising flow conditions and understanding the role of porous media characteristics, this research advances efficient contaminant recovery systems aligned with sustainable management and circular economy goals, promoting resource recovery and reuse from contaminated water.
How to cite: Razaghi, N.: Visualisation of Multi-Scale Desorption Dynamics in Clay-Coated Microfluidic Channels: Optimising Recovery Strategies for Valuable Contaminants, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7416, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7416, 2025.
Groundwater contamination by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) presents a pressing environmental challenge, particularly in complex subsurface systems. As persistent pollutants, VOCs degrade water quality, threaten ecosystems, and pose serious health risks, necessitating effective containment and remediation strategies. In this study, we employ transport modeling to investigate industrial contaminant spreading in the Jerusalem Mountains, Israel, characterized by a thick, stratified, karstic, faulted, and folded vadose zone, including two-story perched aquifers. Despite limited monitoring data and a 50-year delay in detecting VOC leakage, our FEFLOW model successfully reconstructed key contaminant transport processes, including convection, dispersion, retardation, volatilization, and attenuation. We integrated a transport model with a calibrated flow model to trace the evolution of the VOC plume over 70 years, revealing critical dynamics within the vadose zone. Preferential flow occurs horizontally via perched aquifers and vertically through faults, enhanced by karstic networks. The vast extent of contamination, with the plume extending into the deep regional aquifer several decades after the presumed onset of pollutant dispersion, underscores the vadose zone's dual function as both a buffer and a facilitator of pollutants. While rapid flow paths enabled the aquitards to be traversed, effectively spreading contaminants into the regional water source, most of the unsaturated zone successfully contained the VOCs, mitigating their migration toward residential neighborhoods and critical groundwater resources. Our modeling predicts that, without remedial actions, the VOC plume will persist in the vadose zone, leaching slowly over time, with negligible attenuation in the coming decades. By uncovering these dynamics, our research not only aids local remediation efforts but also provides a framework for addressing similar challenges in complex hydrogeological settings worldwide.
How to cite: Shalom, O., Lev, O., and Gvirtzman, H.: Modeling VOC Transport in a Large-Scale Thick Vadose Zone, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15371, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15371, 2025.
Posters virtual: Fri, 2 May, 14:00–15:45 | vPoster spot A
EGU25-8477 | Posters virtual | VPS11
Pharmaceutical transformation products formed by ozonation – does degradation occur?Fri, 02 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vPA.7
The efficiency of an advanced oxidation process (AOP) using direct and indirect ozonation for the removal of pharmaceutical residues from hospital wastewater was examined. Both direct and indirect ozonation demonstrated 34% to 100% removal of the parent compounds. However, based on the products’ chemical structure and toxicity, we suggest that despite using accepted and affordable ozone and radical concentrations, the six parent compounds were not fully degraded, but merely transformed into 25 new intermediate products. The transformation products (TPs) differed slightly in structure, but were mostly similar to their parent compounds in their persistence, stability and toxicity; a few of the TPs were found to be even more toxic than their parent compounds. Therefore, an additional treatment is required to improve and upgrade the traditional AOP toward degradation and removal of both parent compounds and their TPs for safer release high qaulity effluent into the environment.
How to cite: Avisar, D.: Pharmaceutical transformation products formed by ozonation – does degradation occur? , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8477, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8477, 2025.
EGU25-16993 | Posters virtual | VPS11
Catchment-scale modeling of pesticide fate in soil, water and air, taking into account intra-field heterogeneity in vineyard contexts.Fri, 02 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vPA.19
Vines are a major consumer of pesticides. Pesticide contamination has been reported for all environmental compartments in the wine-growing context, prompting the definition of more sustainable vine-growing methods. Intra-parcel heterogeneity in vineyard plots is high, due to the fact that vines are grown in rows, pesticides are applied mainly to these rows, and several soil management practices coexist within a plot (chemical weeding, tillage, grassing). To evaluate the environmental dispersion and fate of pesticides in vineyards, we have adapted the field plot sub-model of integrative pesticide landscape fate model MIPP (Modélisation Intégrée du devenir des Pesticides dans les Paysages agricoles) (Voltz et al., 2019). MIPP is a spatially explicit mechanistic model that couples the fate of pesticides in soil, water, and air as influenced by the spatial and temporal organization of farming practices and landscape properties. It thus considers the horizontal hydrological and atmospheric transfers within the landscape, using respectively the MHYDAS and FIDES model. The plot-scale sub-model distinguishes between rows and inter-rows compartments so that different management practices can be applied and spraying deposits correctly located. Concerning the processes, the plot-scale sub-model is based on the coupling of the following three sets of modules:
- a mechanistic soil fate module from the VSoil modelling software platform that simulates water, heat and pesticide transfers in dissolved or gaseous form. Physico-chemical equilibrium is assumed between the solid, liquid, gaseous phases in soil. Volatilisation is calculated from the soil and the vine leaves. Pesticide exchange rate between surface run-off water and soil surface layer is assumed proportional to the pesticide concentration gradient.
- a three sources energy balance module explicitly considering the proportions of plot area covered by bare soil, vine canopy and grass cover.
- a module simulating the evolution of surface conditions, which includes the simulation of the dynamics of spontaneous herbaceous cover in inter-row compartments considering water stress and the changes in soil hydraulic conductivity according to soil management.
The MIPP model is developed within the modelling software platform OpenFLUID that enables easy coupling.
This presentation will focus on a description of the model, a first series of performance evaluations and applications to estimate the environmental impact of pesticides in a Mediterranean wine-growing watershed (Rieutort, located in southern France).
How to cite: Dages, C., Bedos, C., Crevoisier, D., Lafolie, F., Loubet, B., Personne, E., Beudez, N., Djouhri, M., Faucher, M., Fabre, J.-C., Thoni, A., Vinatier, F., and Voltz, M.: Catchment-scale modeling of pesticide fate in soil, water and air, taking into account intra-field heterogeneity in vineyard contexts., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16993, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16993, 2025.
