Occurrence and fate of emerging pollutants in groundwater from a municipal landfill

Abstract : The transfer to groundwater of emerging substances from a former landfill in urban areas has been studied as part of a research program dealing with the observation and the monitoring of the environment. Of the 261 substances sought (30 pharmaceutical molecules, 223 phytosanitary products and 8 other emerging substances), 11 pharmaceutical molecules in particular have been quantified in the leachates, 2 endocrine disruptors (bisphenol A and triclosan) and 10 phytosanitary substances. Most of these substances are found in groundwater immediately downstream of the site (including carbamazepine) at concentrations ranging between 0.1 µg/l and 10 µg/l. The number of detected substances appears much smaller a few hundred meters far from the landfill (bisphenol A and diclofenac in particularly, with concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1 µg/l and about 0.1 µg/l respectively). Natural attenuation occurs during transfer in the plume, as observed for PAHs or metals. The results show the interest of long-term hydrogeological and chemical monitoring. These are essential to the description of transfer processes of emerging substances.