Pharmaceuticals load in the Svihov water reservoir (Czech Republic) and impacts on quality of treated drinking water

Abstract

An important component of micropollutants are PPCPs (pharmaceuticals and personal care products). This paper contains the results of the monitoring of surface water, groundwater and wastewater in the surrounding area of the Svihov drinking water reservoir. Over the period 2017-2019, over 21,000 water samples were taken and analyzed for 112 pharmaceuticals, their metabolites, and other chemicals. The results are discussed in detail for two streams with the highest observed concentration of PPCPs (Hnevkovice, Dolni Kralovice) and two streams with the highest water inflow into the reservoir, representing also the highest mass flow of PPCPs into the reservoir (Miletin, Kacerov). The overall analysis of the results shows that acesulfame, azithromycin, caffeine, gabapentin, hydrochlorothiazide, ibuprofen and its metabolites, oxypurinol, paraxanthine, and saccharin (on some profiles up to tens of thousands ng/dm3) attain the highest concentration and occur most frequently. The evaluation of raw water and treated drinking water quality showed the significant positive effect of water retention in the reservoir (retention time of 413 days) and also of the treatment process, so that the treated drinking water is of high quality and contains only negligible residues of few PPCPs near the detection limit of the analytical method used.