Author(s)

FRANZ MICHAEL MERTENS, EKKEHARD CHRISTOFFELS, ANDREA FRANZISKA BRUNSCH & JENS WUNDERLICH-PFEIFFER

Abstract

A study was conducted from September 2010 to September 2012 at the outlet of a stormwater basin in the city of Meckenheim, near Bonn (Germany). For this purpose, a strategy was developed to collect samples from the stormwater basin located directly upstream from the point of discharge into the Swist river. Numerous locally applied pesticides, frequently used pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and flame retardants were detected. Median discharge load for selected micropollutants ranged from 4.0 to 19.9 µg/s. The results showed that treatment may be necessary in the case of rainwater discharge from separate sewer systems to reduce the substance load in the receiving river.

Keywords

micropollutants, monitoring, retention soil filter, separate sewer system, stormwater sewer