The Anthropocene fingerprint: Hazardous elements in waters of a coastal Mediterranean alluvial plain (Valencia, Spain).

This study focuses on the alluvial plain spanning between the Turia and Jucar rivers (486 km) in Valencia, Spain - a highly productive agricultural area that also involves a Natural Park (La Albufera). Thirty-five points across different water sources and land uses were sampled to map the spatial distribution of 14 heavy metals (Al, As, B, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Ni, Pb, Sr, Tl, and Zn), and to study the potential influence of water characteristics and environmental factors on them. Two pollution indexes were applied, Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI) and Water Pollution Index (WPI), to assess the water quality state in the area.

Presence of pharmaceuticals and heavy metals in the waters of a Mediterranean coastal wetland: Potential interactions and the influence of the environment.

The occurrence of 17 relevant pharmaceuticals and 7 heavy metals in the waters of the Pego-Oliva Marsh Natural Park (Valencia Community, Spain) were monitored. Thirty four zones (including the lagoon and the most important irrigation channels), covering the main land uses and water sources, were selected for sampling. Thirty three of them were contaminated with at least one pharmaceutical.