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Baseline Characterization of Emerging Contaminants with Probable Structures in a Karstic Groundwater-Dependent Urban System: A Non-Target Chemometric Approach
Summary
Scientists testing groundwater in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, a region that relies entirely on underground water for drinking, found 57 chemical contaminants, mostly traces of pharmaceuticals and plastic-related compounds, in both wastewater and treated drinking water. Concerning, even the drinking water treatment plant showed these chemicals, and treatment processes didn't fully eliminate them, suggesting current water treatment may not catch everything before it reaches your tap. This matters because it highlights gaps in monitoring "emerging contaminants," chemicals we don't yet fully understand the health eff
While all groundwater systems are susceptible to pollution, karst aquifers are the most vulnerable, although they provide a vital water supply for regions like the Yucatan Peninsula, where they serve as the sole source of water. Despite their importance and the accelerated development of urban environments, research on emerging contaminants (ECs) in groundwater remains limited. In such complex environments, non-target screening (NTS) is essential to overcome the limitations of the traditional target approach, as it allows for the detection of a wider range of contaminants. This study established a qualitative chemical baseline of ECs with probable structural assignments (confidence level 2) in water of southeastern Mexico during the dry season, utilizing an NTS qualitative approach with solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Results tentatively identified 57 ECs, dominated by pharmaceuticals (68%). Chemical compounds associated with plasticizers and pharmaceuticals were detected across all sites, including both the municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and the groundwater-based drinking water treatment plant (DWTP). Chemometric analysis showed that while treatment processes drove a physicochemical convergence, water matrices retained distinct chemical profiles. Furthermore, temporal dynamics influenced the total variability of the system (explaining up to 80.8% of the variance), suggesting that monthly fluctuations had a stronger influence on water composition than treatment technologies. While this study offers a localized spatiotemporal snapshot, these results provide a framework to support groundwater protection and long-term sustainability in karstic regions.