Transport of emerging contaminants: a column experimental study in granitic, gneissic, and quaternary alluvial soils from Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil.

Emerging contaminants is a topic that has been in evidence, especially in the last decades. These compounds are pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products that are present in several locations, mainly in large urban centers. The aim of this work was to investigate the fate of seven compounds (atrazine, simazine, ametrine, tebuthiuron, 2,4-D, fipronil, and diclofenac) using leaching column experiments to evaluate accumulation and transfer in 5 different types of urban soils from Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. Chemical analyses were carried out through liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results showed that the soil derived from quaternary sediments, with well-sorted sandy sediments, was the one in which the contaminants had higher mobility. This soil also has a pH above the average of the others in the city, a factor that may also be responsible for less retention of substances. Tebuthiuron is the substance with the greatest leaching potential overall. Column experiments are a relevant tool to understand the behavior of emerging contaminants in soils and implications on the population health.