Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Venice Mestre, Italy.
Environ Res. 2024 Dec 15;263(Pt 1):120047. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.120047. Epub 2024 Sep 21.
Multimedia fugacity models are effective tools for studying the environmental behaviour and occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and assessing associated risks, especially when experimental data is limited. These models describe processes controlling chemical partitioning, transport, and reactions in environmental media using mathematical statements based on the concept of fugacity. To aid in identifying and prioritizing CECs for future local monitoring, we present here the application of a level III multimedia fugacity model assuming non-equilibrium between compartments and steady-state conditions. This model estimated predicted environmental concentrations (PECs), persistence, distribution, and transport of ten plant protection products (PPPs) in the Venice Lagoon, a complex coastal environment under high anthropogenic pressure. The model was evaluated through uncertainty and sensitivity analysis using the Monte Carlo approach and by comparing PECs with PPP concentrations measured during four sampling campaigns. Results showed good agreement with field data, with the highest concentrations in water and sediments estimated for glyphosate, followed by imidacloprid, metaflumizone, and triallate. The model indicated accumulation of all investigated PPPs in sediments. For most chemicals, advection outflow and degradation in the water column were the main removal mechanisms, while volatilization was significant only for oxadiazon and triallate. Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis revealed that degradation rates, organic carbon/water partitioning coefficients (K), and parameters describing air-water interactions had the strongest influence on the model's results, followed by inputs accounting for sediment sinking and resuspension. The lack of data on PPP degradation in brackish waters accounted for most of the uncertainty in model results. This work shows how a relatively simple multimedia model can offer new insights into the environmental behaviour of PPPs in a complex transitional waterbody such as the Venice lagoon, providing useful data for the identification of the CECs to be prioritised in future local monitoring efforts.
多媒体逸度模型是研究新兴关注污染物（CECs）的环境行为和出现以及评估相关风险的有效工具，尤其是在实验数据有限的情况下。这些模型使用基于逸度概念的数学陈述来描述控制化学分配、传输和反应的过程。为了帮助确定和优先考虑未来当地监测的 CECs，我们在这里应用了一个假设非平衡和稳态条件的三级多媒体逸度模型。该模型估计了 10 种植物保护产品（PPPs）在威尼斯泻湖（一个受到高度人为压力的复杂沿海环境）中的预测环境浓度（PECs）、持久性、分布和迁移。该模型通过使用蒙特卡罗方法进行不确定性和敏感性分析，并通过将 PECs 与四个采样期间测量的 PPP 浓度进行比较来进行评估。结果与现场数据吻合较好，草甘膦、吡虫啉、唑虫酰胺和三唑磷在水中和沉积物中的浓度最高。模型表明所有研究的 PPPs 都在沉积物中积累。对于大多数化学物质，水流和水柱中的降解是主要的去除机制，而只有恶嗪草酮和三唑磷的挥发作用显著。敏感性和不确定性分析表明，降解速率、有机碳/水分配系数（K）和描述空气-水相互作用的参数对模型结果的影响最大，其次是考虑沉积物沉降和再悬浮的输入。缺乏关于咸水 PPP 降解的数据是模型结果不确定性的主要原因。这项工作表明，相对简单的多媒体模型如何为复杂过渡水体（如威尼斯泻湖）中 PPPs 的环境行为提供新的见解，并为确定未来当地监测工作中优先考虑的 CECs 提供有用的数据。
