Legacy and Emerging Pollutants in an Urban River Stretch and Effects on the Bacterioplankton Community

Andrea Visca,Francesca Spataro,Livia Mariani,Katalin Monostory,Ludovica Rolando,Luisa Patrolecco,Paola Grenni,Jasmin Rauseo,Beata Sperlagh,Anna Barra Caracciolo

doi:10.3390/w13233402

Andrea Visca, Francesca Spataro + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/w13233402

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Abstract

River contamination is due to a chemical mixture of point and diffuse pollution, which can compromise water quality. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and emerging compounds such as pharmaceuticals and antibiotics are frequently found in rivers flowing through big cities. This work evaluated the presence of fifteen priority PAHs, eight pharmaceuticals including the antibiotics ciprofloxacin (CIP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), together with their main antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) and the structure of the natural bacterioplankton community, in an urbanized stretch of the river Danube. SMX and diclofenac were the most abundant chemicals found (up to 20 ng/L). ARGs were also found to be detected as ubiquitous contaminants. A principal component analysis of the overall microbiological and chemical data revealed which contaminants were correlated with the presence of certain bacterial groups. The highest concentrations of naphthalene were associated with Deltaproteobacteria and intI1 gene. Overall, the most contaminated site was inside the city and located immediately downstream of a wastewater treatment plant. However, both the sampling points before the river reached the city and in its southern suburban area were still affected by emerging and legacy contamination. The diffuse presence of antibiotics and ARGs causes particular concern because the river water is used for drinking purposes.

Highlights

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some pharmaceuticals have been identified in several works as common contaminants in lotic waters [4,5]
PAHs were in significantly higher amounts in the April sampling than the other ones (November and October)
In the In present work, work, pharmaceuticals, PAHs, PAHs, antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) ARGs and bacterioplankton commuthe present pharmaceuticals, and bacterioplankton community structure were analyzed in a stretch of the river at three sampling nity structure were analyzed in a stretch of theDanube, river Danube, atdifferent three different sampling sites and times

Summary

Introduction

Freshwater is a precious and limited resource for humans and ecosystems. Most of the world’s major cities were built on or around areas of freshwater, especially rivers [1]. For this reason, most lotic ecosystems have been suffering various anthropogenic impacts for a long time (e.g., organic load, fertilizers, organic and inorganic contaminants) and their water quality has been harmed [2]. Several pollutants of different chemical classes are transported from point (e.g., municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants), and diffuse sources (e.g., agricultural areas) to surface water [3]. A mixture of legacy and emerging pollutants has been found in rivers, causing particular concern for their possible effects on the ecosystem and human health.

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