Nation-wide monitoring campaign of 49 biocides and surfactants in surface waters and wastewaters

Abstract

Despite their intensive use and their impact on ecosystems, biocides and surfactants are still poorly regulated and poorly monitored at large scale. In the frame of the revision of the national regulatory surveillance plan of surface waters, France planned in 2018 a monitoring campaign at national scale focused on these two types of substances of very emerging concern. Forty-nine contaminants (32 biocides and 17 surfactants) were investigated in surface water and sediment samples from 91 sampling sites, and in effluent and sludge samples of 7 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), in mainland France and overseas regions. Between 33 and 52 % of the target contaminants were quantified at least once in water and sediment. High frequencies of quantification were observed for the surfactants (up to 91 % in water samples and up to 57 % in sediment samples for LAS C10-C13) and for the biocides (up to 64 % for fipronil in water samples and up to 90 % for methyl nonyl ketone in sediment samples). The median concentrations of surfactants were up to 2 μg/L in mainland surface water samples and up to 528 μg/kg in sediment samples, and for biocides, the median concentrations were up to 0.18 μg/L in mainland surface water samples and up to 104 μg/kg in sediment samples. PNEC exceedances in water and sediment were determined for both types of substances. The analysis of effluent and sludge suggested significant but not total removal of these substances in the WWTP. Temporal and spatial variations of the concentrations of both types of substances in surface water samples were also observed, suggesting both punctual and diffuse contamination sources of the surface water investigated.