Priority substances and emerging pollutants in urban rivers in Ukraine: Occurrence, fluxes and loading to transboundary European Union watersheds

Abstract

The occurrence and fluxes of 18 priority substances and emerging pollutants listed in the European Union Water Framework Directive and a Watch List (trace metals (Cd, Pb and Ni), nonylphenols, octylphenols, 8 polyaromatic hydrocarbons, 4 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls and diclofenac) were investigated in a Ukrainian city and the mass discharge loads of these compounds into EU-transboundary watersheds were estimated. Fluxes of chemicals were calculated per capita and per area of the Ukrainian urban territory and used to estimate mass loading of priority and emerging concern compounds from Lviv, Uzhorod and Chernivtsi (West Ukraine) to neighbouring EU-transboundary rivers. The highest loading was found for trace metals (1.15 t a−1), diclofenac (0.7 t a−1) and nonylphenols (0.4 t a−1). Transboundary water contamination must be considered in order to successfully manage water resources in a manner that fulfils the requirements of EU environmental quality standards.