Long-term extractable compounds screening in surface water to prevent accidental organic pollution

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Water Quality Analysis
• Ecology

Background:

• Surface water quality is crucial for ecosystem health and human use.
• Understanding the organic composition of water bodies is key to assessing water quality.
• Canal networks, like the one fed by the Rhône river, are important water resources requiring continuous monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the spatial and temporal evolution of organic compounds in a canal network.
• To establish organic fingerprints for different sampling points and assess water quality.
• To develop a reference databank for effective water quality monitoring and anomaly detection.

Main Methods:

• Monitoring of the principal canal (72 km) over a 3-year period.
• Detection and quantification of 139 organic compounds at ng/l concentration levels.
• Classification of detected compounds based on frequency and concentration to define organic fingerprints.

Main Results:

• Organic fingerprints were successfully constructed, showing dependence on sampling dates and climatic conditions.
• The predominance of organic background compounds indicated high surface water quality.
• Calculations of chemical family proportions helped assess potential anthropogenic impacts.

Conclusions:

• The established organic fingerprints serve as a reliable reference for water quality monitoring.
• Rapid detection of anomalies in organic fingerprints enables better crisis management.
• The study highlights the importance of detailed organic composition analysis for safeguarding water resources.