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SUMMARY:Fate\, Risks and Remediation of Emerging Contaminants of Selected 
 European Rivers and Future COVID-19-Related Challenges - Damia Barcelo\, I
 nstitute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research
DTSTART:20221108T183000Z
DTEND:20221108T193000Z
UID:TALK192599@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Max Wong
DESCRIPTION:The talk is free to attend for all - to get to the Lecture The
 atre someone will be standing by the Great Gate of Trinity College 5 minut
 es before the talk to let people in.\n\nMost ecosystems are exposed simult
 aneously to several stressors\, in the so-called multiple-stress situation
 . Water scarcity is a key stressor with direct and indirect effects. The r
 elevance of water scarcity as a stressor is most important in semi-arid re
 gions such as the Mediterranean basin\, characterized by highly variable r
 iver flows and the periodic occurrence of low flows and even no-flows. Cli
 mate change previsions forecast an increase in the frequency and magnitude
  of extreme events. Although extremes are part of the normal hydrologic be
 haviour in Mediterranean-type rivers\, many already show a consistent tren
 d towards decreased discharge. The first part of this presentation will sh
 ow different examples on the risk of emerging contaminants\, antibiotic re
 sistance genes (ARG) nanomaterials and microplastics (MPs) in Mediterranea
 n river catchments affected by water scarcity. Major conclusions of this r
 econnaissance study show that under extreme events pollutants effects on t
 he biota are more relevant that under regular river flow conditions. Flash
 -flood events will mobilize pollutants from sediments with an increase of 
 bioavailable chemicals in the surface river. Under water scarcity there ar
 e combined effects of stressors\, chemicals and water flow\, affecting bio
 ta. Lastly\, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) discharges affect river m
 acroinvertebrate river biodiversity and pollutants discharged are bioaccum
 ulated in fishes.\nThe second part of this lecture will discuss the increa
 sing use of plastic litter and pharmaceuticals under Covid-19 outbreak. In
  this sense the excessive use and consumption of single-use plastics (incl
 uding personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves) has negative
 ly impacted the aquatic environment and agroecosystems among other compart
 ments. Large amounts of antibiotics and paracetamol among other pharmaceut
 icals were positively correlated with levels of SARS-CoV-2 present in WWTP
 s and surface waters. Lastly\, to overcome pollution problems in rivers un
 der climate change effects\, new solutions are required to improve river w
 ater quality and quantity like the use of advanced water treatment options
 . In short\, by improving the water treatment the river water will be less
  toxic on the biota downstream. By doing this we are providing an addition
 al source for different reuse options\, like agriculture or groundwater re
 charge being one of the mitigation strategies against climate change and w
 ater scarcity.
LOCATION:The Winstanley Lecture Hall\, Trinity College\, Cambridge
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