A. Blaschke | Tu Wien (original) (raw)

Papers by A. Blaschke

Research paper thumbnail of Upscaling Subsurface Transport from the Column to the Field: A Focus on the Meso-Scale

<p>Upscaling groundwater transport from the column ... more <p>Upscaling groundwater transport from the column scale to the field scale is relevant because field tests with various tracers are often too expensive or not permissible, due to public health or environmental concerns.  Therefore, when testing chemical or pathogenic tracers, work is often done using small scale columns in the laboratory and results are extrapolated to the field. Several studies compare tracer transport in small-scale columns to tests in the field, but there is yet to be a study that compares groundwater transport using a meso-scale as well. Within a framework of upscaling, three scales are considered: small laboratory columns (0.1 m scale), a large intact core (1 m scale), and a real-world gravel aquifer (10 m scale).  The small column is filled with gravel material taken from boreholes at the field site, which is close to Vienna, Austria.  The meso-scale consists of an undisturbed gravel column, which was taken from a gravel pit near Neuhofen an der Ybbs, Austria. It was found that scale effects observed may be due to heterogeneity at the macropore scale versus preferential flowpaths at the meso-scale and field scale. Additionally, differences may be observed due to the small columns being repacked with aquifer material and the large column and field site being “undisturbed”.  The meso-scale column allows us to gain insight into the upscaling processes by incorporating an in-between step when comparing groundwater transport at the column to the field scale.</p>

Research paper thumbnail of Microplastics: Are they really a threat to groundwater systems?

<p>Recently, global annual plastics production has reached a record of 359 million ... more <p>Recently, global annual plastics production has reached a record of 359 million tonnes and in Europe nearly 62 million tonnes, with only a small portion (6-26%) being recycled. Plastic debris released into the environment are categorized, according to size, as macroplastics (> 5mm), microplastics (0.1μm - 5mm) and nanoplastics (< 0.1μm). Microplastics are now recognized as an emerging pollutant due to their abundance in natural environments, and because of growing concerns, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has included it in the list of top 10 environmental problems.</p><p>Additionally, microplastics have a tendency to act as a vector for other contaminants such as pathogens, organic pollutants and heavy metals due to strong dispersion and diffusion mechanisms. The majority of ongoing research on microplastics has primarily focussed on marine systems, but land surface contamination may also be important due to observed release rates that are approximately 20 times higher, in comparison to oceans. Nevertheless, only a few studies have addressed the presence of microplastics in soil and groundwater.</p><p>A research gap exists regarding the physical and chemical mechanisms that govern microplastic transport and retention in groundwater. Therefore, a study is being conducted to investigate the distribution, fate and transport of microplastics through groundwater. The overall aim is to improve the understanding of the transport mechanisms of these emerging pollutants and if they enhance the mobility of microbial communities. This research has two main objectives: firstly, to simulate the transport behaviour of various kinds of microplastics (different types, shapes, sizes, and surface morphology), secondly, to analyse the microplastics as potential vectors for microorganisms.</p><p>The key factors that are affecting the transport of different sized microplastics will be addressed. Additionally, the co-transport of microorganisms with microplastics during their movement within soil and groundwater will also be considered.</p>

Research paper thumbnail of Percent recovery of low influent concentrations of microorganism surrogates in small sand columns

Research paper thumbnail of Percent recovery of low influent concentrations of microorganism surrogates in small sand columns

EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, Apr 1, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Fate and transport of microorganisms in an alluvial gravel aquifer

Research paper thumbnail of Attachment and Detachment Behaviour of Adenovirus and Surrogates in Fine Granular Limestone Aquifer Material

Research paper thumbnail of From Groundwater to Drinking Water – Current Approaches for Microbial Monitoring and Risk Assessment in Porous Aquifers

Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of The occurrence and persistence of PFAS at riverbank filtration sites in the Upper Danube basin

Österreichische Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft

PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals used for many industrial and domestic purposes. However, ... more PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals used for many industrial and domestic purposes. However, once released in the environment, they are persistent, mobile and toxic. One of the most important transport routes to drinking water is through riverbank filtration. Although this is usually an effective strategy for removing many organic compounds, its effectiveness in removing PFAS is still unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the occurrence, as well as the spatial distribution of PFAS at riverbank filtration sites and compare these to two pharmaceuticals and various chemical parameters. A one-year sampling campaign was carried out at four transects with different characteristics along the Danube river. Samples were analysed using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry.Results show that most of the detected PFAS compounds had concentrations lower than 10 ng/l. NaADONA had the highest concentration at all the sites, indicating the presence of an emission source upstream of...

Research paper thumbnail of Enumerating Microorganism Surrogates for Groundwater Transport Studies Using Solid-Phase Cytometry

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Have genetic targets for faecal pollution diagnostics and source tracking revolutionised water quality analysis yet?

FEMS Microbiology Reviews

The impacts on faecal pollution analysis using nucleic acid-based methods, such as PCR and sequen... more The impacts on faecal pollution analysis using nucleic acid-based methods, such as PCR and sequencing, in health-related water quality research were assessed by rigorous literature analysis. A wide range of application areas and study designs has been identified since the first application more than 30 years ago (>1,100 publications). Given the consistency of methods and assessment types, we suggest defining this emerging part of science as a new discipline: genetic faecal pollution diagnostics (GFPD) in health-related microbial water quality analysis. Undoubtedly, GFPD has already revolutionised faecal pollution detection and microbial source tracking, the current core applications. GFPD is also expanding to many other research areas, including infection and health risk assessment, evaluation of microbial water treatment, and support of wastewater surveillance. In addition, storage of DNA extracts allows for biobanking, which opens up new perspectives. The tools of GFPD can be c...

Research paper thumbnail of Microbiological Water Quality of the Danube River: Status Quo and Future Perspectives

The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, 2014

ABSTRACT Fecal microbial pollution is a major problem throughout the Danube River Basin, posing a... more ABSTRACT Fecal microbial pollution is a major problem throughout the Danube River Basin, posing a threat to various types of water use, including drinking water production from river bank filtrates, water supply for agricultural and industrial use, and the role of the river as a recreational space. Fecal microbial pollution is introduced into the river by point sources, such as discharges of treated or untreated sewage from human sources or livestock, and by nonpoint sources, such as urban and agricultural runoff. In addition, fecal input from wildlife may be of importance in specific regions. Despite huge efforts to improve wastewater management in the past decade, in many sections, the river and its tributaries exhibit very high levels of fecal microbial pollution. To assess microbiological water quality, indicators of fecal pollution are used as surrogates for the potential presence of intestinal pathogens. However, the standard indicators cannot provide any reliable information regarding the origin of fecal pollution, nor can their concentration levels be directly related to human health risks for many types of exposure and situations. The aim of this book chapter is to summarize the historical developments in microbiological water quality research and to reflect the most recent publicly available data on the fecal microbial pollution status of the Danube River. Moreover, the first results on fecal microbial source tracking by molecular biology methods are presented along with their applicability in river water quality monitoring, including the monitoring of riparian wells and alluvial groundwater resources. Finally, a discussion of the general state of water quality and public health is presented concerning (i) the current situation and potential limitations of the Water Framework Directive regarding the microbiological quality elements, (ii) further improvements regarding sampling and monitoring strategies, and (iii) the recently introduced concept of “integrated framework of fecal pollution monitoring and management” and expected further methodological developments in the context of the Danube watershed. Rapid progress in research and development is currently being made in the area of fecal microbial source tracking, pathogen detection, and health risk assessment, and these innovations are also likely to complement basic fecal pollution monitoring programs for river systems such as the Danube in the near future.

Research paper thumbnail of Optimised management of riverine landscapes based on a multi-criteria Decision Support System: merging societal requirements and ecological development in a changing world. Optima Lobau. ProVision Project EZ

Research paper thumbnail of Optimised management strategies for the Biosphere reserve Lobau, Austria - based on a multi criteria decision support system

Without sustainable rehabilitation measures, the Lobau, a freshwater Biosphere Reserve, will soon... more Without sustainable rehabilitation measures, the Lobau, a freshwater Biosphere Reserve, will soon became a primarily terrestrial ecosystem with major implications for its rich aquatic and amphibic biodiversity. An innovative ecosystem management scheme for this Danube floodplain needs to optimally balance between conservation and restoration objectives and to harmonize the partly competing ecologic and socio-economic requirements for the next 40 years. Therefore, we present a project dealing with the development of a multi-criteria Decision Support System (DSS), based on interdisciplinary historical analyses and state-of-the-art ecosystem modelling. The DSS will assists multiple stakeholders in finding coherent and realistic management alternatives, by linking all objectives and measures in a transparent and reproducible way.

Research paper thumbnail of Optima Lobau: An interdisciplinary scientific approach evaluating future scenarios in an urban floodplain

… Conference of IAD. …, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of The Hydrological Open Air Laboratory (HOAL) in Petzenkirchen: a hypotheses driven observatory

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Biotin- and Glycoprotein-Coated Microspheres as Surrogates for Studying Filtration Removal of Cryptosporidium parvum in a Granular Limestone Aquifer Medium

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2015

ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium is a waterborne protozoa of great health concern. Many studies have atte... more ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium is a waterborne protozoa of great health concern. Many studies have attempted to find appropriate surrogates for assessing Cryptosporidium filtration removal in porous media. In this study, we have evaluated the filtration of Cryptosporidium parvum, biotin- and glycoprotein-coated carboxylated polystyrene microspheres (CPM) in granular limestone media. Column (10 cm long and 1.5 cm internal diameter) experiments were carried out with core material taken from a managed aquifer recharge site in Adelaide, Australia. For the experiments with injection of a single type of particle, we observed a total removal of the oocysts and glycoprotein-coated CPM, 4.6-6.3 log10 reduction of biotin-coated CPM and 2.6 log10 reduction of unmodified CPM. When two different types of particles were simultaneously injected, glycoprotein-coated CPM showed 5.3 log10 reduction while the uncoated CPM displayed 3.7 log10 reduction, probably due to particle-particle interactions. Our results confirm that glycoprotein-coated CPM are the most accurate surrogates for C. parvum; biotin-coated CPM are slightly more conservative while unmodified CPM are markedly over-conservative for predicting C. parvum removal in granular limestone media. A total removal of C. parvum observed in our study suggests that granular limestone media is very effective in filtration removal of C. parvum and could potentially be used for the pre-treatment of drinking water and aquifer storage recovery of recycled water. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Research paper thumbnail of Risks for groundwater contamination from domestic waste water: tracers, model applications and quality criteria

Water Science & Technology: Water Supply, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of A sensitive and robust method for automated on-line monitoring of enzymatic activities in water and water resources

Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2014

The realisation of a novel concept for automated on-line monitoring of enzymatic activities in wa... more The realisation of a novel concept for automated on-line monitoring of enzymatic activities in water was successfully demonstrated by long-term field testing at two remote Austrian ground water resources. The β-D-glucuronidase (GLUC) activity was selected as a representative enzymatic model parameter for the on-line determination. But the device can be adapted for any enzymatic reaction with diagnostic relevance for microbial water quality monitoring, as demonstrated for the β-D-galactosidase activity. Automated filtration of volumes up to 5 litres supports sensitive quantification of enzymatic activities. Internet-based data transfer, using internal control parameters for verification and a dynamic determination of the limit of quantification, enabled robust enzymatic on-line monitoring during a 2-year period. A proportion of 5,313 out of 5,506 GLUC activity measurements (96.5%) could be positively verified. Hydrological (discharge, gauge, turbidity, temperature, pH, electric condu...

Research paper thumbnail of Monitoring of carbamazepine concentrations in wastewater and groundwater to quantify sewer leakage

Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2005

Monitoring of carbamazepine concentrations in wastewater and groundwater enables us to identify a... more Monitoring of carbamazepine concentrations in wastewater and groundwater enables us to identify and quantify sewer exfiltration. The antiepileptic drug carbamazepine is hardly removed in wastewater treatment plants and not or just slightly attenuated during bank infiltration and subsoil flow. Concentrations in wastewater are generally 1000 times higher than the limit of quantification. In contrast to . many other wastewater tracers carbamazepine is discharged to the environment only via domestic wastewater. The results from this study carried out in Linz, Austria indicate an average exfiltration rate of 1%, expressed as percentage of the dry weather flow that is lost to the groundwater on the city-wide scale. This rate is lower than sewage losses reported in most other studies which attempted to quantify exfiltration on the basis of groundwater pollution. However, it was also possible to identify one area with significantly higher sewage losses. This method seems to be very suitable...

Research paper thumbnail of Quantification of sewer exfiltration using the anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine as marker species for wastewater

Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2005

The anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine was used as marker species in wastewater to identify and qu... more The anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine was used as marker species in wastewater to identify and quantify sewer exfiltration. In several studies carbamazepine turned out to be hardly removed in wastewater treatment and not or just slightly attenuated during bank infiltration. Concentrations in wastewater are generally 1000 times higher than the limit of quantification. In contrast to many other marker species a "young" drug as carbamazepine is discharged to the environment only by wastewater. The results from this study carried out in Linz, Austria indicate an average exfiltration rate, expressed as percentage of the dry weather flow that is lost on the city-wide scale, of 1%. This rate is lower than sewage losses reported in most other studies which attempted to quantify exfiltration on the basis of groundwater pollution. However, it was also possible to identify one area with significant higher sewage losses.

Research paper thumbnail of Upscaling Subsurface Transport from the Column to the Field: A Focus on the Meso-Scale

<p>Upscaling groundwater transport from the column ... more <p>Upscaling groundwater transport from the column scale to the field scale is relevant because field tests with various tracers are often too expensive or not permissible, due to public health or environmental concerns.  Therefore, when testing chemical or pathogenic tracers, work is often done using small scale columns in the laboratory and results are extrapolated to the field. Several studies compare tracer transport in small-scale columns to tests in the field, but there is yet to be a study that compares groundwater transport using a meso-scale as well. Within a framework of upscaling, three scales are considered: small laboratory columns (0.1 m scale), a large intact core (1 m scale), and a real-world gravel aquifer (10 m scale).  The small column is filled with gravel material taken from boreholes at the field site, which is close to Vienna, Austria.  The meso-scale consists of an undisturbed gravel column, which was taken from a gravel pit near Neuhofen an der Ybbs, Austria. It was found that scale effects observed may be due to heterogeneity at the macropore scale versus preferential flowpaths at the meso-scale and field scale. Additionally, differences may be observed due to the small columns being repacked with aquifer material and the large column and field site being “undisturbed”.  The meso-scale column allows us to gain insight into the upscaling processes by incorporating an in-between step when comparing groundwater transport at the column to the field scale.</p>

Research paper thumbnail of Microplastics: Are they really a threat to groundwater systems?

<p>Recently, global annual plastics production has reached a record of 359 million ... more <p>Recently, global annual plastics production has reached a record of 359 million tonnes and in Europe nearly 62 million tonnes, with only a small portion (6-26%) being recycled. Plastic debris released into the environment are categorized, according to size, as macroplastics (> 5mm), microplastics (0.1μm - 5mm) and nanoplastics (< 0.1μm). Microplastics are now recognized as an emerging pollutant due to their abundance in natural environments, and because of growing concerns, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has included it in the list of top 10 environmental problems.</p><p>Additionally, microplastics have a tendency to act as a vector for other contaminants such as pathogens, organic pollutants and heavy metals due to strong dispersion and diffusion mechanisms. The majority of ongoing research on microplastics has primarily focussed on marine systems, but land surface contamination may also be important due to observed release rates that are approximately 20 times higher, in comparison to oceans. Nevertheless, only a few studies have addressed the presence of microplastics in soil and groundwater.</p><p>A research gap exists regarding the physical and chemical mechanisms that govern microplastic transport and retention in groundwater. Therefore, a study is being conducted to investigate the distribution, fate and transport of microplastics through groundwater. The overall aim is to improve the understanding of the transport mechanisms of these emerging pollutants and if they enhance the mobility of microbial communities. This research has two main objectives: firstly, to simulate the transport behaviour of various kinds of microplastics (different types, shapes, sizes, and surface morphology), secondly, to analyse the microplastics as potential vectors for microorganisms.</p><p>The key factors that are affecting the transport of different sized microplastics will be addressed. Additionally, the co-transport of microorganisms with microplastics during their movement within soil and groundwater will also be considered.</p>

Research paper thumbnail of Percent recovery of low influent concentrations of microorganism surrogates in small sand columns

Research paper thumbnail of Percent recovery of low influent concentrations of microorganism surrogates in small sand columns

EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, Apr 1, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Fate and transport of microorganisms in an alluvial gravel aquifer

Research paper thumbnail of Attachment and Detachment Behaviour of Adenovirus and Surrogates in Fine Granular Limestone Aquifer Material

Research paper thumbnail of From Groundwater to Drinking Water – Current Approaches for Microbial Monitoring and Risk Assessment in Porous Aquifers

Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of The occurrence and persistence of PFAS at riverbank filtration sites in the Upper Danube basin

Österreichische Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft

PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals used for many industrial and domestic purposes. However, ... more PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals used for many industrial and domestic purposes. However, once released in the environment, they are persistent, mobile and toxic. One of the most important transport routes to drinking water is through riverbank filtration. Although this is usually an effective strategy for removing many organic compounds, its effectiveness in removing PFAS is still unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the occurrence, as well as the spatial distribution of PFAS at riverbank filtration sites and compare these to two pharmaceuticals and various chemical parameters. A one-year sampling campaign was carried out at four transects with different characteristics along the Danube river. Samples were analysed using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry.Results show that most of the detected PFAS compounds had concentrations lower than 10 ng/l. NaADONA had the highest concentration at all the sites, indicating the presence of an emission source upstream of...

Research paper thumbnail of Enumerating Microorganism Surrogates for Groundwater Transport Studies Using Solid-Phase Cytometry

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Have genetic targets for faecal pollution diagnostics and source tracking revolutionised water quality analysis yet?

FEMS Microbiology Reviews

The impacts on faecal pollution analysis using nucleic acid-based methods, such as PCR and sequen... more The impacts on faecal pollution analysis using nucleic acid-based methods, such as PCR and sequencing, in health-related water quality research were assessed by rigorous literature analysis. A wide range of application areas and study designs has been identified since the first application more than 30 years ago (>1,100 publications). Given the consistency of methods and assessment types, we suggest defining this emerging part of science as a new discipline: genetic faecal pollution diagnostics (GFPD) in health-related microbial water quality analysis. Undoubtedly, GFPD has already revolutionised faecal pollution detection and microbial source tracking, the current core applications. GFPD is also expanding to many other research areas, including infection and health risk assessment, evaluation of microbial water treatment, and support of wastewater surveillance. In addition, storage of DNA extracts allows for biobanking, which opens up new perspectives. The tools of GFPD can be c...

Research paper thumbnail of Microbiological Water Quality of the Danube River: Status Quo and Future Perspectives

The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, 2014

ABSTRACT Fecal microbial pollution is a major problem throughout the Danube River Basin, posing a... more ABSTRACT Fecal microbial pollution is a major problem throughout the Danube River Basin, posing a threat to various types of water use, including drinking water production from river bank filtrates, water supply for agricultural and industrial use, and the role of the river as a recreational space. Fecal microbial pollution is introduced into the river by point sources, such as discharges of treated or untreated sewage from human sources or livestock, and by nonpoint sources, such as urban and agricultural runoff. In addition, fecal input from wildlife may be of importance in specific regions. Despite huge efforts to improve wastewater management in the past decade, in many sections, the river and its tributaries exhibit very high levels of fecal microbial pollution. To assess microbiological water quality, indicators of fecal pollution are used as surrogates for the potential presence of intestinal pathogens. However, the standard indicators cannot provide any reliable information regarding the origin of fecal pollution, nor can their concentration levels be directly related to human health risks for many types of exposure and situations. The aim of this book chapter is to summarize the historical developments in microbiological water quality research and to reflect the most recent publicly available data on the fecal microbial pollution status of the Danube River. Moreover, the first results on fecal microbial source tracking by molecular biology methods are presented along with their applicability in river water quality monitoring, including the monitoring of riparian wells and alluvial groundwater resources. Finally, a discussion of the general state of water quality and public health is presented concerning (i) the current situation and potential limitations of the Water Framework Directive regarding the microbiological quality elements, (ii) further improvements regarding sampling and monitoring strategies, and (iii) the recently introduced concept of “integrated framework of fecal pollution monitoring and management” and expected further methodological developments in the context of the Danube watershed. Rapid progress in research and development is currently being made in the area of fecal microbial source tracking, pathogen detection, and health risk assessment, and these innovations are also likely to complement basic fecal pollution monitoring programs for river systems such as the Danube in the near future.

Research paper thumbnail of Optimised management of riverine landscapes based on a multi-criteria Decision Support System: merging societal requirements and ecological development in a changing world. Optima Lobau. ProVision Project EZ

Research paper thumbnail of Optimised management strategies for the Biosphere reserve Lobau, Austria - based on a multi criteria decision support system

Without sustainable rehabilitation measures, the Lobau, a freshwater Biosphere Reserve, will soon... more Without sustainable rehabilitation measures, the Lobau, a freshwater Biosphere Reserve, will soon became a primarily terrestrial ecosystem with major implications for its rich aquatic and amphibic biodiversity. An innovative ecosystem management scheme for this Danube floodplain needs to optimally balance between conservation and restoration objectives and to harmonize the partly competing ecologic and socio-economic requirements for the next 40 years. Therefore, we present a project dealing with the development of a multi-criteria Decision Support System (DSS), based on interdisciplinary historical analyses and state-of-the-art ecosystem modelling. The DSS will assists multiple stakeholders in finding coherent and realistic management alternatives, by linking all objectives and measures in a transparent and reproducible way.

Research paper thumbnail of Optima Lobau: An interdisciplinary scientific approach evaluating future scenarios in an urban floodplain

… Conference of IAD. …, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of The Hydrological Open Air Laboratory (HOAL) in Petzenkirchen: a hypotheses driven observatory

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Biotin- and Glycoprotein-Coated Microspheres as Surrogates for Studying Filtration Removal of Cryptosporidium parvum in a Granular Limestone Aquifer Medium

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2015

ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium is a waterborne protozoa of great health concern. Many studies have atte... more ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium is a waterborne protozoa of great health concern. Many studies have attempted to find appropriate surrogates for assessing Cryptosporidium filtration removal in porous media. In this study, we have evaluated the filtration of Cryptosporidium parvum, biotin- and glycoprotein-coated carboxylated polystyrene microspheres (CPM) in granular limestone media. Column (10 cm long and 1.5 cm internal diameter) experiments were carried out with core material taken from a managed aquifer recharge site in Adelaide, Australia. For the experiments with injection of a single type of particle, we observed a total removal of the oocysts and glycoprotein-coated CPM, 4.6-6.3 log10 reduction of biotin-coated CPM and 2.6 log10 reduction of unmodified CPM. When two different types of particles were simultaneously injected, glycoprotein-coated CPM showed 5.3 log10 reduction while the uncoated CPM displayed 3.7 log10 reduction, probably due to particle-particle interactions. Our results confirm that glycoprotein-coated CPM are the most accurate surrogates for C. parvum; biotin-coated CPM are slightly more conservative while unmodified CPM are markedly over-conservative for predicting C. parvum removal in granular limestone media. A total removal of C. parvum observed in our study suggests that granular limestone media is very effective in filtration removal of C. parvum and could potentially be used for the pre-treatment of drinking water and aquifer storage recovery of recycled water. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Research paper thumbnail of Risks for groundwater contamination from domestic waste water: tracers, model applications and quality criteria

Water Science & Technology: Water Supply, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of A sensitive and robust method for automated on-line monitoring of enzymatic activities in water and water resources

Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2014

The realisation of a novel concept for automated on-line monitoring of enzymatic activities in wa... more The realisation of a novel concept for automated on-line monitoring of enzymatic activities in water was successfully demonstrated by long-term field testing at two remote Austrian ground water resources. The β-D-glucuronidase (GLUC) activity was selected as a representative enzymatic model parameter for the on-line determination. But the device can be adapted for any enzymatic reaction with diagnostic relevance for microbial water quality monitoring, as demonstrated for the β-D-galactosidase activity. Automated filtration of volumes up to 5 litres supports sensitive quantification of enzymatic activities. Internet-based data transfer, using internal control parameters for verification and a dynamic determination of the limit of quantification, enabled robust enzymatic on-line monitoring during a 2-year period. A proportion of 5,313 out of 5,506 GLUC activity measurements (96.5%) could be positively verified. Hydrological (discharge, gauge, turbidity, temperature, pH, electric condu...

Research paper thumbnail of Monitoring of carbamazepine concentrations in wastewater and groundwater to quantify sewer leakage

Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2005

Monitoring of carbamazepine concentrations in wastewater and groundwater enables us to identify a... more Monitoring of carbamazepine concentrations in wastewater and groundwater enables us to identify and quantify sewer exfiltration. The antiepileptic drug carbamazepine is hardly removed in wastewater treatment plants and not or just slightly attenuated during bank infiltration and subsoil flow. Concentrations in wastewater are generally 1000 times higher than the limit of quantification. In contrast to . many other wastewater tracers carbamazepine is discharged to the environment only via domestic wastewater. The results from this study carried out in Linz, Austria indicate an average exfiltration rate of 1%, expressed as percentage of the dry weather flow that is lost to the groundwater on the city-wide scale. This rate is lower than sewage losses reported in most other studies which attempted to quantify exfiltration on the basis of groundwater pollution. However, it was also possible to identify one area with significantly higher sewage losses. This method seems to be very suitable...

Research paper thumbnail of Quantification of sewer exfiltration using the anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine as marker species for wastewater

Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2005

The anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine was used as marker species in wastewater to identify and qu... more The anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine was used as marker species in wastewater to identify and quantify sewer exfiltration. In several studies carbamazepine turned out to be hardly removed in wastewater treatment and not or just slightly attenuated during bank infiltration. Concentrations in wastewater are generally 1000 times higher than the limit of quantification. In contrast to many other marker species a "young" drug as carbamazepine is discharged to the environment only by wastewater. The results from this study carried out in Linz, Austria indicate an average exfiltration rate, expressed as percentage of the dry weather flow that is lost on the city-wide scale, of 1%. This rate is lower than sewage losses reported in most other studies which attempted to quantify exfiltration on the basis of groundwater pollution. However, it was also possible to identify one area with significant higher sewage losses.