Synthetic musks in the aquatic system of Berlin as an example for urban ecosystems

Abstract

This chapter compiles some data on the occurrence and fate of synthetic musk compounds in the aquatic environment of Berlin, Germany. The city of Berlin and its suburbs represent a highly urbanized area with low surface water flows and high amounts of raw sewage produced by a population of around 4 million people. The treated sewage effluents from the municipal sewage treatment plants, containing up to 20 μg L-1 of synthetic musk compounds, are discharged into rivers and canals in several of Berlin's central districts. The low surface water flows result in high proportions of raw sewage and in high concentrations of musk compounds in the waterways. The concentrations of synthetic musks upstream of the Berlin waters are negligible. Thus, Berlin's surface waters can be divided into areas with no or only very low contamination and areas where synthetic musks are found at μg L-1 concentrations. The investigations for synthetic musk compounds carried out in Berlin are unique because of the variety of matrices (sewage effluents, sewage sludge, surface water, sediments, and fish) and the large number of samples that have been analyzed over a long time period (1991-2000). For example, more than 1500 fish samples were analyzed for musk xylene residues in the years between 1991 and 1998. The large number of samples was found to be indispensable for a reliable statistical evaluation of the occurrence data. Moreover, long-term investigations of these compounds in fish also allow to assess some timely trends of contamination by synthetic musks.