Occurrence and Fate of Organic Micropollutants in the Environment: Regional Mass Balances and Source Apportioning in Surface Waters Based on Laboratory Incubation Studies in Soil and Water, Monitoring, and Computer Modeling

Research activities at the plant protection chemistry group of the Federal Research Station in Wädenswil, Switzerland, are primarily focused on the environmental behavior of pesticides and, in some cases, other organic micropollutants. Many old and modern pesticides are chiral and there is...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Thomas Poiger, Hans-Rudolf Buser, Markus D. Müller, Marianne E. Balmer, Ignaz J. Buerge
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Swiss Chemical Society 2003-09-01
Series:CHIMIA
Subjects:
Online Access:https://chimia.ch/chimia/article/view/3728
_version_ 1811320279645814784
author Thomas Poiger
Hans-Rudolf Buser
Markus D. Müller
Marianne E. Balmer
Ignaz J. Buerge
author_facet Thomas Poiger
Hans-Rudolf Buser
Markus D. Müller
Marianne E. Balmer
Ignaz J. Buerge
author_sort Thomas Poiger
collection DOAJ
description Research activities at the plant protection chemistry group of the Federal Research Station in Wädenswil, Switzerland, are primarily focused on the environmental behavior of pesticides and, in some cases, other organic micropollutants. Many old and modern pesticides are chiral and there is growing interest from registration authorities and companies in the different biological activity and environmental behavior and impact of individual stereoisomers. The environmental behavior of chiral pesticides is thus one of our main areas of research. We use monitoring data (e.g. surface waters, wastewater) to establish regional mass balances of a chemical (e.g. in the catchment area of a lake). Mass balances often indicate possible sources and presence of elimination processes such as (bio)degradation, sorption/sedimentation, and volatilization. Elimination processes are further investigated in model systems in the laboratory, including batch incubations in soil and water under different regimes (light/dark, sterile/non-sterile), to distinguish between biotic and abiotic (photolysis, hydrolysis) processes. Environmental models are then used to rationalize the chemodynamics of micropollutants in natural systems, integrating data from monitoring and model systems. In some cases, it is possible to use the data for source apportioning of pollutants in the environment, and for monitoring (or prediction) of the effectiveness of pollution prevention measures. In the following report, three examples will be presented which illustrate the general approach outlined above to study the environmental occurrence and behavior of organic micropollutants. These examples include the chiral herbicide mecoprop and the chiral pharmaceutical drug ibuprofen, as well as the ubiquitous natural compound caffeine.
first_indexed 2024-04-13T12:57:04Z
format Article
id doaj.art-d7f81e89ee154528aacd4637a9def8c2
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0009-4293
2673-2424
language deu
last_indexed 2024-04-13T12:57:04Z
publishDate 2003-09-01
publisher Swiss Chemical Society
record_format Article
series CHIMIA
spelling doaj.art-d7f81e89ee154528aacd4637a9def8c22022-12-22T02:46:01ZdeuSwiss Chemical SocietyCHIMIA0009-42932673-24242003-09-0157910.2533/000942903777678920Occurrence and Fate of Organic Micropollutants in the Environment: Regional Mass Balances and Source Apportioning in Surface Waters Based on Laboratory Incubation Studies in Soil and Water, Monitoring, and Computer ModelingThomas PoigerHans-Rudolf BuserMarkus D. MüllerMarianne E. BalmerIgnaz J. Buerge Research activities at the plant protection chemistry group of the Federal Research Station in Wädenswil, Switzerland, are primarily focused on the environmental behavior of pesticides and, in some cases, other organic micropollutants. Many old and modern pesticides are chiral and there is growing interest from registration authorities and companies in the different biological activity and environmental behavior and impact of individual stereoisomers. The environmental behavior of chiral pesticides is thus one of our main areas of research. We use monitoring data (e.g. surface waters, wastewater) to establish regional mass balances of a chemical (e.g. in the catchment area of a lake). Mass balances often indicate possible sources and presence of elimination processes such as (bio)degradation, sorption/sedimentation, and volatilization. Elimination processes are further investigated in model systems in the laboratory, including batch incubations in soil and water under different regimes (light/dark, sterile/non-sterile), to distinguish between biotic and abiotic (photolysis, hydrolysis) processes. Environmental models are then used to rationalize the chemodynamics of micropollutants in natural systems, integrating data from monitoring and model systems. In some cases, it is possible to use the data for source apportioning of pollutants in the environment, and for monitoring (or prediction) of the effectiveness of pollution prevention measures. In the following report, three examples will be presented which illustrate the general approach outlined above to study the environmental occurrence and behavior of organic micropollutants. These examples include the chiral herbicide mecoprop and the chiral pharmaceutical drug ibuprofen, as well as the ubiquitous natural compound caffeine. https://chimia.ch/chimia/article/view/3728CaffeineChiral pesticidesEnantioselective analysisIbuprofenMecopropMolecular markers
spellingShingle Thomas Poiger
Hans-Rudolf Buser
Markus D. Müller
Marianne E. Balmer
Ignaz J. Buerge
Occurrence and Fate of Organic Micropollutants in the Environment: Regional Mass Balances and Source Apportioning in Surface Waters Based on Laboratory Incubation Studies in Soil and Water, Monitoring, and Computer Modeling
CHIMIA
Caffeine
Chiral pesticides
Enantioselective analysis
Ibuprofen
Mecoprop
Molecular markers
title Occurrence and Fate of Organic Micropollutants in the Environment: Regional Mass Balances and Source Apportioning in Surface Waters Based on Laboratory Incubation Studies in Soil and Water, Monitoring, and Computer Modeling
title_full Occurrence and Fate of Organic Micropollutants in the Environment: Regional Mass Balances and Source Apportioning in Surface Waters Based on Laboratory Incubation Studies in Soil and Water, Monitoring, and Computer Modeling
title_fullStr Occurrence and Fate of Organic Micropollutants in the Environment: Regional Mass Balances and Source Apportioning in Surface Waters Based on Laboratory Incubation Studies in Soil and Water, Monitoring, and Computer Modeling
title_full_unstemmed Occurrence and Fate of Organic Micropollutants in the Environment: Regional Mass Balances and Source Apportioning in Surface Waters Based on Laboratory Incubation Studies in Soil and Water, Monitoring, and Computer Modeling
title_short Occurrence and Fate of Organic Micropollutants in the Environment: Regional Mass Balances and Source Apportioning in Surface Waters Based on Laboratory Incubation Studies in Soil and Water, Monitoring, and Computer Modeling
title_sort occurrence and fate of organic micropollutants in the environment regional mass balances and source apportioning in surface waters based on laboratory incubation studies in soil and water monitoring and computer modeling
topic Caffeine
Chiral pesticides
Enantioselective analysis
Ibuprofen
Mecoprop
Molecular markers
url https://chimia.ch/chimia/article/view/3728
work_keys_str_mv AT thomaspoiger occurrenceandfateoforganicmicropollutantsintheenvironmentregionalmassbalancesandsourceapportioninginsurfacewatersbasedonlaboratoryincubationstudiesinsoilandwatermonitoringandcomputermodeling
AT hansrudolfbuser occurrenceandfateoforganicmicropollutantsintheenvironmentregionalmassbalancesandsourceapportioninginsurfacewatersbasedonlaboratoryincubationstudiesinsoilandwatermonitoringandcomputermodeling
AT markusdmuller occurrenceandfateoforganicmicropollutantsintheenvironmentregionalmassbalancesandsourceapportioninginsurfacewatersbasedonlaboratoryincubationstudiesinsoilandwatermonitoringandcomputermodeling
AT marianneebalmer occurrenceandfateoforganicmicropollutantsintheenvironmentregionalmassbalancesandsourceapportioninginsurfacewatersbasedonlaboratoryincubationstudiesinsoilandwatermonitoringandcomputermodeling
AT ignazjbuerge occurrenceandfateoforganicmicropollutantsintheenvironmentregionalmassbalancesandsourceapportioninginsurfacewatersbasedonlaboratoryincubationstudiesinsoilandwatermonitoringandcomputermodeling