Élőhelyek és fajok helyreállítása és rehabilitációja
Ökológiai intenzifikálás
Vízi biológia, hidrobiológia
Performance data from full-scale constructed wetlands remain scarce, particularly
regarding seasonal and compound-specific removal of pharmaceutical active compounds
(PhACs). This study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics and removal efficiency
of 41 detected PhACs (out of 134 screened) in the Kis-Balaton Water Protection System
(KBWPS), a large reconstructed wetland in Central Europe, Hungary. More than half
of the detected compounds were completely eliminated, and 11 others showed mitigation
efficiencies exceeding 80 %. However, antiepileptics and hormone derivatives frequently
persisted or exhibited increased concentrations at the outflow, particularly during
colder conditions. Uncertainty analysis revealed that extreme negative removal values
correspond to delayed release or sediment desorption rather than analytical artefacts.
Risk assessment revealed that high detection frequency did not necessarily correspond
to elevated ecological risk; instead, E1, β-E2 and diclofenac were the primary contributors
to cumulative hazard. Overall, the KBWPS demonstrates that large-scale wetlands can
provide substantial pharmaceutical attenuation, an emerging yet underrecognized ecosystem
service that complements nutrient retention and habitat provision. The dual role of
wetlands as both sinks and potential secondary sources of micropollutants, emphasizes
the importance of seasonally adaptive, compound-specific management strategies within
integrated water protection frameworks.
