Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal: Environmental Research Letters

Volume number: 16

Issue number: 6

ISSN: 1748-9326

Open access status: Gold

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abf0cf

Publisher: IOP Publishing

Abstract: 
Quaternary alkylammonium compounds (QAACs) are used as disinfectants and surfactants worldwide, with their usage currently increasing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. QAACs are released into the environment with manure, sewage sludge and wastewater. The fate of QAACs in soils is poorly understood, although QAACs are inflicted in the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We studied the temporal accumulation of QAACs in soils of the Mezquital Valley that have been irrigated with Mexico City wastewater from 0 to 88 years. Concentrations of 16 QAACs, including alkyltrimethylammonium compounds (ATMACs), dialkyldimethylammonium compounds (DADMACs) and benzylalkyldimethylethylammonium compounds (BACs), were determined using HPLC-MS/MS after ultrasonic extraction. The most abundant QAAC-homologues in the soils were BACs > ATMACs > DADMACs. The concentrations of QAACs increased linearly and slowly during the first years of irrigation ( n-ary sumation QAAC: 2-23 mu g kg(-1)), but after 40 years of wastewater irrigation we observed an exponential increase in QAAC concentrations (up to 155 mu g kg(-1)). QAACs accumulate in soils of the Mezquital Valley during long-term wastewater irrigation. In contrast to pharmaceuticals, no apparent 'steady state' concentration is reached after decades of wastewater irrigation.

Harvard Citation style: Heyde, B., Anders, A., Siebe, C., Siemens, J. and Mulder, I. (2021) Quaternary alkylammonium disinfectant concentrations in soils rise exponentially after long-term wastewater irrigation, Environmental Research Letters, 16(6), Article 064002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abf0cf

APA Citation style: Heyde, B., Anders, A., Siebe, C., Siemens, J., & Mulder, I. (2021). Quaternary alkylammonium disinfectant concentrations in soils rise exponentially after long-term wastewater irrigation. Environmental Research Letters. 16(6), Article 064002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abf0cf