LakeMP · Spatial and temporal biotransformation of micropollutants in a lake ecosystem
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2017-09-05 → 2019-09-04
- EU contribution
- €175,420
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Spatial and temporal biotransformation of micropollutants in a lake ecosystem
European lakes are subject to the input of a large range of micropollutants, ranging from pesticides to pharmaceuticals, artificial sweeteners and personal care products. These micropollutants, often measured in the ng/L to µg/L range, can exert toxicological effects on the aquatic communities residing in the lake, but can also threaten the quality of drinking water as they might not be completely removed during the drinking water treatment process. Scientists have measured these micropollutants sources and concentrations extensively in the past decades, and started elucidating their dissipation pathways, such as flushing, sorption and phototransformation. However, there still exists a knowledge gap regarding the dissipation of these micropollutants through biotransformation processes. This project aimed at evaluating the extent of biotransformation of a large range of micropollutants in a lake ecosystem, and at different seasons and water depths. The influence of environmental parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen…) relative to microbial density, composition and diversity was evaluated using data coming from a lake monitoring station and nutrient concentration measurements, and DNA sequencing, respectively. Statistical approaches were used to identify the most important factors driving the transformation of micropollutants at different periods of the summer. This study is important to understand the persistence of micropollutants in surface water, identify the drivers of biotransformation, and foster improvements in risk assessment of typical contaminants. In addition, the biotransformation rate constants for pharmaceuticals obtained in laboratory experiments were used in a lake mass balance model to verify if inclusion of biotransformation as an elimination process would improve prediction of micropollutant concentrations in the studied lake.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Freshwaters are increasingly contaminated with a variety of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care product ingredients and industrial chemicals referred as “micropollutants” (MPs). Most of these MPs are poorly retained by wastewater treatment plants, and thus are released into natural water bodies, where they can travel all the way to the raw water of drinking water treatment plants. Very little information is currently available on the persistence and transformation of MPs in lake ecosystems. This project aims to investigate the fate of twelve MPs in lake Greifensee in Switzerland by measuring their transformation rates at different depths and seasons. To this end, lake water will be sampled at different depths in Lake Greifensee, and natural microbial communities (bacteria and phytoplankton) will be exposed to a mixture of different MPs using semipermeable plastic bags that will be redeployed to their original depth. The bags will let gases, salts and ions be exchanged with the outside environment, but will retain MPs and microorganisms inside the bag. At regular intervals, MP concentrations and their transformation products in the bags will be determined in order to calculate biotransformation rates of MPs at different depths of the lake. Phytoplankton and bacteria communities will be analyzed to assess the role of microorganisms in MP transformation using cutting edge “omics” methods such as metagenomics. This project will be unique in that it actually quantitatively describes the extent of MP biotransformation in situ, and thus eliminates many of the uncertainties involved in estimating in-field biodegradation based on laboratory experiments. It will also bring more in-depth knowledge on the drivers of biotransformation, whether they are of bacteria or phytoplankton origin. This project will hence foster improved risk assessment and management of the release of contaminants into the environment.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- EIDGENOESSISCHE ANSTALT FUER WASSERVERSORGUNG ABWASSERREINIGUNG UND GEWAESSERSCHUTZ · DubendorfCoordinatorSwitzerland
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/750700
- https://www.eawag.ch/en/department/uchem/projects/lakemp-spatial-and-temporal-biotransformation-of-micropollutants-in-a-lake-ecosystem/
Data: CORDIS, © European Union