OCCURRENCE OF CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING CONCERN (CEC) IN CONVENTIONAL AND NON- CONVENTIONAL WATER RESOURCES IN TUNISIA
Résumé
Contaminants of emerging concern (CEC)
include a
wide
variety of
compounds like
pharmaceuticals
and personal care products (PPCPs)
and
their metabolites.
In deve
loping countries,
CEC
are gaining interest as they are contaminating the
water resources. In Tunisia, for the first time, a
total
of 2
5
PPCPs
and
three
of their
metabolites
were
analysed
in wastewater
, reclaimed water
,
surface
water
and groundwater. Most o
f selected
CEC
were
detected
not only
in
raw wastewater
,
but also in
treated
wastewater
and reclaimed water
.
High
contents of Cl and Na in wastewater and reclaimed
water were an indication of industrial discharge.
PPCPs
were detected in surface water
from
the
Meliane River
;
the highest concentrations
were
measured close to the estuary to the Mediterranean
Sea.
High concentrations of
2
-
OH
-
ibuprofene
in
the
Meliane River downstream a wastewater treatment
plant might result
from the biodegradation of
ibuprofe
n during secondary wastewater treatment.
Based on
their
levels of
concentration
,
it is proposed
to use
carbamazepine,
caffeine
,
ibuprofene
,
atenolol
,
feno
fi
bric acid, methylparabene, bi
s
phen
o
l A,
and
2
-
OH
-
ibuprofene
as
indicators
of
wastewater
-
derived
poll
ution
of
surface
water resources in Tunisia.
Salinity of the groundwater
in the study area
is
controlled by sea water
entered decades ago due to
over
-
pumping of groundwater
.
Groundwater quality
is
also
influenced
by CEC
as
sulfamethoxazol
,
carbamazepine
,
m
ethylparabene
,
propylparabene
,
bisphenol A
,
trichlosan
, and
1
-
H
-
benzotriazole
were
detected
in groundwater collected
from an area
exposed to
irrigation
with
reclaimed water.
The
presence of t
hese compounds
indicates that they are
not
completely
removed du
ring soil
passage
according
to
incomplete
sorption
and/or
biodegradation
. Th
us,
these compounds
are suggested
as indicators
of
wastewater contamination confirming
the
pollution of groundwater resources
at sites w
h
ere
wastewater is
re
used for
irrigat
ion
in
agriculture
.
S
pecial attention
has to be paid
to
the
occurrence
of
TRS
occurring
in
groundwater
since this compound
is
recognized to produce antibiotic resistance in the
environment