Zrinyi, Zita and Bánó, Bálint and Knisz, Judit and Gerencser-Berta, Renata and Maasz, Gabor and Takács, Péter (2026) Extreme sink and extreme source: The highly variable micropollutant elimination ability of a reconstructed wetland. JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING, 02 (82). ISSN 2214-7144 (In Press)
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Abstract
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.
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