The LIFE Pilica integrated project tackles these challenges by strengthening the capacity to implement key remedial measures from the Vistula River Basin Water Management Plan promoting sustainable water management and ecosystem restoration covering 183,000 km² (59% of Poland’s surface area) is a vital environmental and economic region spanning 9,251 km² across five voivodships funded by the European Union’s (EU’s) LIFE program aims to improve water quality in the Pilica catchment by implementing the River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) It joins other EU water integrated projects uniting stakeholders like local authorities and environmental experts to address water ecosystem pressures Specific measures involve improving rural wastewater management and supporting blue-green infrastructure to manage non-point pollution in rural and urban areas Challenges include coordinating efforts across diverse regions and ensuring stakeholder collaboration LIFE Pilica takes part in the development of  strategic documents on water management and engages communities through education and awareness campaigns This collaborative approach ensures sustainable and widely supported water quality improvements the project aims to achieve 60% of environmental objectives in the basin reduce blue-green algal blooms in Sulejów Reservoir by 25% and increase ecosystem services like tourism by 20% Public awareness of RBMPs is expected to rise by 30% These efforts align with the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and restoring biodiversity through improved hydrodynamics and ecological continuity the project impacts local economies and public awareness it promotes sustainable water management practices Long-term sustainability is ensured through education ensures lasting improvements in water quality and biodiversity in the Pilica catchment This story has been submitted by a partner of the #WaterWiseEU campaign. The EU-wide campaign focuses on water resilience, aiming to change the way we see, use and value water. Find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved. EU Environment newsletters deliver the latest updates about the European Commission’s environmental priorities straight to your inbox Metrics details The levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in the Pilica River and Sulejów Reservoir were found to be 46% higher during the flood season than during stable flow periods PCDD/PCDF and dl-PCB mass loads increased by 5- to 12-fold and by 23- to 60-fold for toxic equivalency (TEQ) during flooding The Sulejów Reservoir was found to play a positive role in reducing PCDD PCDF and dl-PCB transport within the study period with reductions ranging from 17 to 83% for total concentrations Wastewater Treatment Plants (WTPs) were not efficient at mass concentration removal with small displaying the least efficiency WTPs discharge pollutants into the aquatic environment they also produce sludge that requires disposal PCDFs and dl-PCBs may be removed using phytoremediation two efficient phytoremediators of organic pollutants on polluted substrate resulted in a mean decrease in PCDD + PCDF + dl-PCB TEQ concentrations: 64% for cucumber and 69% for zucchini in sludge-amended soil and by 52% for cucumber and 51% for zucchini in sediment-amended soil riverine ecosystems are subject to strict monitoring Poland is obliged to implement the objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) regarding community action for water policy and the chemical and biological status of water resources Good river water status can be achieved by eliminating or reducing emissions from the most serious pollutants the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Directive of the European Parliament and Council (2013/39/EU of 12 August 2013 amending Directive 2000/60/EC and 2008/105/EC) regarding priority substances in the field of water policy (Directive EQS) list 45 substances representing a serious threat to aquatic environments and to humans: these need to be removed from aquatic environments Three groups of pollutants on the list are PCDDs PCDFs and dl-PCBs allows them to bind to the organic and mineral particles in the river; in this bound form they are transported along the river continuum and deposited downstream which serve as long-term sources of pollutants indicate that a thorough assessment of the condition of the environment is required before the degree of contamination can be reduced or reversed within the catchment scale together with a quantification of the environmental problem A broad spectrum of analyses is performed to determine the concentration of the given pollutant and its toxicity with regard to the individual components of the ecosystem (identification of threats); the results would clarify the interactions and processes that evaluate the levels of pollutants (analysis of cause-effect relationships) The findings are then used to improve the quality of the environment (developing methods and tools for reduction of identified threats) this study not only assesses the concentration and toxicity of PCDDs PCDFs and dl-PCBs in the riverine environment also defines their roles in the ecosystem and identifies the processes determining their concentrations Its findings indicate opportunities for their safe removal The contaminated sediment can be remediated by the development of environmental biotechnologies such as microbial remediation and phytoremediation: these being the removal or detoxification of pollutants with the use of microbes or plants The River Continuum Concept1 indicates that ecological processes occurring along the course of a river demonstrate continuity and geomorphological The same is true for pollutants migrating along the river system: their levels should be interpreted across a broad space-time context which considers both the role of the catchment and the river itself as well as the impact of present and past sources of pollution Although the results obtained within our study highlight the positive influence of the Sulejów Reservoir with regard to pollution they also clearly show the problems faced by the Pilica River and it reservoir associated with PCDD As the quality of the sediment and water in the reservoir is determined by processes occurring across the whole catchment-river-reservoir system the final dynamics and distribution of PCDDs/PCDFs and dl-PCBs are shaped by a complex interaction between the level of pollution and the existing biogeochemical (biological chemical and physical) and hydrological processes related to the water cycle within a specific system further analyses were performed to determine the impact of hydrological conditions and point sources of pollution on the concentrations toxicity and distribution of PCDDs/PCDFs and dl-PCBs along the Pilica River continuum Such drastic changes will dramatically increase the chance of extreme floods and droughts and pose a serious threat to sustainable development Since water is the primary medium responsible for the transport of matter nutrients and pollutants from the catchment their concentrations and loads will change dramatically in inland waters It is worth to note that Polish emissions of PCDDs/PCDFs to air from residential combustion contributed to more than 70% of the total load from this source within the Baltic Sea catchment Emissions to air are indicated to be an important source of the loads of these compounds to land and water ecosystems via dry and wet deposition and their further flushing to rivers during intensive rains our study examined how the hydrological conditions prevailing in the Pilica River and its catchment influence the mass concentration TEQ and distribution of PCDDs/PCDFs and dl-PCBs along its continuum The study was conducted in three different sets of hydrological conditions occurring in the river: a period of extreme flow during spring flooding one of stable flow and another of low flow during the dry season Despite the strong influence of hydrological conditions on the noted values PCDDs/PCDFs and dl-PCBs concentrations have not been related to the content of mineral organic and total matter in the water samples nor the biogenic compounds such as phosphorus and nitrogen (Table 2SI) stable and low water flow) on the spatial dynamics of PCDDs PCDFs and dl-PCBs in the Pilica River along the river continuum from upland to downstream: A1–A3 – total concentrations; B1–B3 – TEQ concentrations The role of hydrological factors (high stable and low water flow) on total PCDD + PCDF + dl-PCB and total TEQ loads transported along the continuum of the Pilica River at Sulejów stable flow conditions promote sedimentation and deposition of pollutants in the river and reservoir sediments thus reducing the concentrations of studied compounds transported via water thus preventing pollutants from being scoured from the river catchment and transported to the river ecosystem and report a 49% reduction of TEQ concentrations of dl-PCBs in sediments within a 40-km natural meandering section of the Pilica River covered with a riparian vegetation community A greater knowledge of such relationships will allow a better understanding of the functioning of complex river ecosystems and enable their efficient management thus minimizing the transport and accumulation of micropollutants in the sediments of rivers One example of these sources is that of outflows from WTPs this analysis alone does not fully reveal the risks posed by the introduction of treated sewage into rivers as wastewater may also contain several unmonitored pollutants It should be emphasized that no current national legislation defines the permitted concentrations of PCDDs PCDFs and dl-PCBs in wastewater discharged into rivers Only Article 41 of the Polish Water Law Act requires that the sewage introduced into the water but it does not regulate the limits for PCDDs + PCDFs Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council (18 January 2006) concerning the establishment of a Register of European Pollutant Release and Transfer and amending Council Directive 91/689/EEC and 96/61/EC (amended) does set such limits (Regulation EC No It specifies that the maximum PCDD + PCDF TEQ dose introduced through WTPs into the water column cannot be greater than 0.0001 kg/year smaller WTPs are not monitored for concentrations of PCDDs + PCDFs as this provision applies only to the largest WTPs: those with a population equivalent (p.e.) of more than 100,000 It is therefore important to determine both the range and variability of the PCDD PCDF and dl-PCB concentrations within treated wastewater outflows from WTPs as well as their impact on river water quality PCDFs and dl-PCBs in treated wastewater coming from particular WTPs in the Pilica River catchment (Poland) classified into three categories of size: small medium-sized and large WTPs: (A) concentrations of PCDDs PCDFs and dl-PCBs (n = 2) (B) TEQ concentrations of PCDDs PCDFs and dl-PCBs in treated wastewater coming from the three groups of WTPs size: small (n = 14) medium-sized (n = 6) and large (n = 8) located in the Pilica River catchment: (A) mean (+/−SD) concentrations; (B) mean (+/−SD) TEQ concentrations the TEQ values fell within a narrower range than the total concentrations PCDFs and dl-PCBs (n = 2) (A) and PCDDs TEQ PCDFs TEQ and dl-PCBs TEQ (n = 2) (B) in outflowing wastewater from small medium-sized and large WTPs located in the Pilica River catchment (Poland) PCDFs TEQ and dl-PCBs TEQ (B) in outflowing wastewater from small (n = 14) medium-sized (=6) and large (n = 8) WTPs located in the Pilica River catchment The highest load was generated by large WTPs. These discharge mean values of 748 +/− 404 µg of PCDD + PCDF + dl-PCBs to the river per day; while the small and medium WTPs discharged 31.6 +/− 30.1 and 57.6 +/− 19.4 µg per day, respectively. The same trends were seen for the sum totals of PCDDs, dl-PCBs and PCDFs (Fig. 6) The mean TEQ loads increased together with WTP size, ranging from 1.45 +/− 0.58 µg/day for small WTPs, through 6.12 +/− 1.29 µg/day for the medium-sized WTPs, up to 56.1 +/− 16.8 µg/day for large WTPs (Fig. 6) total PCDFs and total dl-PCBs were found to have a similar pattern with the lowest loads observed for small WTPs and the highest for large WTPs the concentrations obtained in our present study are relatively low to moderate such comparison is complicated by the lack of detailed results especially those regarding concentrations and loads of PCDDs/PCDFs at WTP outlets There is a clear need for more research into the fate of PCDDs PCDFs and dl-PCBs during wastewater treatment; such knowledge will improve the quality of water ecosystems though the design of more effective methods for their removal (e.g PCDFs and dl-PCBs into the aquatic environment WTPs also produce sewage sludge as the end product This sludge is typically stored within the area of the WTP or disposed of in landfills or incinerators over 31% of generated sludge is subject to storage and 14.5% to temporary storage (Statistical Yearbook of Environmental Protection Our findings suggest that it may be possible to use the contaminated reservoir sediments and sewage sludge as fertilizer This is supported by the fact that they are generally rich in organic carbon and macronutrients One of the key elements of ecohydrology is the improvement of the environment through the use of ecosystem biotechnologies derived using specialized knowledge about naturally-occurring processes such as phytoremediation Thanks to this considerable potential to sequester pollutants the Cucurbitaceae represent an effective tool in the phytoremediation of PCDDs Reduction of total PCDDs + PCDFs + dl-PCBs and TEQ concentrations in soil amended with sewage sludge (A1; A2) or bottom sediments (B1; B2) using cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) demonstrated a strong influence of sewage sludge on the plant metabolic activity POx activity significantly increased to 149 265 and 234% of control values in variant amended with 3 GST demonstrated a statistically significant increase being 123 α-Tocopherol showed increased concentrations in the variants however significant changes were observed when the highest dose of sewage sludge was applied Obtained results demonstrated zucchini to be more sensitive to the applied doses of sewage sludge or sediments than the cucumber proving the validity and necessity for accurate and correct selection of plant species used for phytoremediation purposes Pilica River catchment (central Poland) with the location of water (blue) sediment (orange) and wastewater (red) sampling stations was created by damming the Pilica River in Smardzewice (Central Poland) at km 137 The reservoir served as a water supply until the end of 2012 the reservoir is used to ensure constant river flow the minimum width in the dam region is 1 km Two grams of each representative sample was used for further determination of PCDD/PCDF and dl-PCB content River water samples were collected during the following conditions: During high water flow (May 2010) in the Pilica River: Under these conditions water level exceeded the flood alarm level at the water gauge in Sulejów (230 cm and the corresponding discharge Q = 79.7 m3/s) and the discharges at the Sulejów and Spała stations amounted to 216 m3/s and 180 m3/s (Table 2SI) During serene water flow (September 2010): Under these conditions, the discharges at the Sulejów and Spała stations amounted 38.3 m3/s and 54.6 m3/s, respectively (Table 2SI) 3) During low water flow (October 2012): The discharges at the Sulejów and Spała stations amounted to 17.6 m3/s and 23.9 m3/s, respectively (Table 2SI) More information regarding the monitoring stations and the physical and chemical parameters during different flow conditions is given in Table 2SI Two sets of samples were collected from each WTP in 2010: once during flooding in the spring and again during stable water flow in the summer The samples were collected directly from the wastewater outflow into the Pilica River or its tributaries as described in River water All samples were applied to soil at doses of 3 These were chosen to represent the maximum dose of sludge permitted on one occasion per year (3 t/ha) and over three years (9 t/ha) as indicated by Polish Ministry of Environment Regulations (Polish Journal of Laws of 2015 4% and 8% of the total dry weight of the sample Control samples consisted of vegetable potting soil obtained from Hollas Sp Pasłęk (Poland) with no sludge or sediments 9 and 18 t/ha) was prepared in three replicates in polypropylene pots (capacity ca 500 cm3) and planted with zucchini and cucumber ‘Atena Polka’) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L ‘Cezar’) seeds were germinated in Petri dishes for seven days Seedlings at the same stage of growth and of the same size were then planted into pots containing control soil soil amended with sewage sludge or soil amended with sediment: nine plants were used per variant - three pots were used for each type of soil and three seedlings were planted in each pot The plants were cultivated for a four-week period in a growth chamber under the following conditions: a temperature of 23+/−0.5 °C 16-hour light/8-hour dark cycle with 250 µmol m2/s photon flux density during the light period and 60% relative humidity soil mixed with sewage sludge or sediment were collected twice during the experiment: at the beginning to assess the initial concentration of PCDDs to assess the removal efficiency of the compounds Detailed analytical method used for the determination of PCDDs Detailed procedure for solid (sediments and soil) and liquid (water and wastewater) samples is described in section “Field studies - Pilica River catchment” The sample of sediment or soil (2 g) was spiked with isotopically-labeled standards (Cambridge Isotopes Laboratories Extraction was performed with toluene using a Dionex 200 Accelerated Solvent Extractor (150 atm Potential interference was removed with the use of neutral and elution was performed using hexane (200 mL) The obtained extracts were concentrated to 100 μL initially by rotary evaporation and then under a gentle stream of nitrogen; the hexane was then replaced with nonane PCDF and dl-PCB levels were determined using isotope dilution high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) using an HP 6890 N Agilent Technologies Gas Chromatograph coupled with a high-resolution mass spectrometer (AutoSpec Ultima) The GC equipment was operated in the splitless injection mode The oven temperature was as follows: 150 °C for 2 min The injector temperature was set to 270 °C The mass spectrometer was operated under positive electron ionization conditions: 34.8 eV electron energy at a resolving power of 10,000 with an ion source temperature of 250 °C helium (flow rate 1.60 mL per min) was used Samples consisted of 2.00 L of water or wastewater These were spiked with isotopically labeled standards (Wellington Laboratories) The samples were then cleaned overnight in sealed semipermeable polyethylene membrane tubes (wall thickness 80.0 μm) using hexane (100 mL) Obtained dialysate was purified using a silica gel column coated with sulfuric acid and alumina The final eluate was spiked with precision and recovery solution (20.0 μL) (Cambridge Isotopes Laboratories USA) and evaporated to 20.0 μL in a gentle stream of nitrogen PCDF and dl-PCB levels were determined by isotope dilution gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (ID-GC/MS–MS) on a Thermo Scientific GCQ-1100/ Trace2000 system equipped with Xcalibur data acquisition and analysis software Congeners were separated on a DB5MS J&W capillary column (30.0 m × 0.250 mm i.d.) of 25-μm film and DB17 (30.0 m × 0.250 mm i.d.) A sample of 2.50 μL volume was introduced into a SSL injector at 260 °C The temperature profile of the GC oven was as follows: 130 °C for 3 minutes 50 °C per min to 180 °C 2 °C per min to 270 °C The result uncertainty was expressed as extended measurement uncertainty for k = 2 at a confidence level of 95% The glassware used in the field and laboratory were cleaned with detergent The glassware was additionally cleaned with acetone and hexane before use The Teflon containers used in the field were also cleaned with detergent QA/QC was ensured with the use of certified calibration standards Each analytical batch included a method blank Artifacts were assessed using a reagent blank while precision was confirmed by duplicate analyses PCDFs or dl-PCBs were used to determine recoveries and to verify accuracy CRM-490 fly ash Municipal waste and 1939a Polychlorinated Biphenyls in River Sediment A were used as standard reference materials Detection levels for sediment and soil samples ranged from 0.11 to 0.84 pg/kg for PCDDs Detection levels for water and wastewater samples ranged from 0.44 to 1.41 pg/L for PCDDs/PCDFs PCDF and dl-PCB pollution of both the Pilica River and Sulejów Reservoir with the determining role of hydrological conditions prevailing in the river itself and its catchment on the quoted concentrations The values recorded during the flood season were around 46% higher than observed during the period of stable flow the loads of the studied compounds transported during the flood increased from 5- to 12-fold in the case of the total concentration and from 23- to 60-fold in the case of Toxic Equivalency (TEQ) The primary cause of such significant differences is the form of the hydrological conditions prevailing in the river itself and its catchment The obtained results highlighted also the positive role of Sulejów Reservoir in reduction of the transported PCDD In this case the obtained results demonstrated decreases in the studied compounds concentrations ranging from 17% to 83% for total values this positive role may change over time e.g and under reduced pollutant load or turbulent flow the sediments accumulated at the bottom of reservoir may act as a source of the studied compounds The analysis demonstrated also that all 14 studied WTPs do not purify wastewater in a sufficient extent PCDF and dl-PCB concentrations were observed in the small WTPs an opposite situation was observed when the obtained values were calculated into loads discharged to the Pilica River and its tributaries the highest loads were generated by large WTPs discharged the smallest loads of studied compounds into the recipients PCDF and dl-PCB into the aquatic environment they also produce sewage sludge as the end product of the treatment process There is also a need to utilize river and reservoir sediments contaminated with PCDD PCDF and dl-PCB as an effect of their discharge via i.e the contaminated sewage sludge and sediments served as the basis for the laboratory experiments aimed at assessing the effectiveness of cucurbits in removing PCDD The obtained results revealed that these pollutants may be removed by using the contaminated sewage sludge and sediments as plants fertilizer Application of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) resulted in a decrease in PCDD PCDF and dl-PCB TEQ concentrations by an average of 64% (for cucumber) and 69% (for zucchini) in soil fertilized with sludge and 52 and 51% (for cucumber and zucchini respectively) in soil fertilized with sediments demonstrating a positive influence of the applied plants on the soil quality The use of both field and laboratory studies, presented in the article, constitutes an example of a holistic, ecohydrological approach to addressing the problem of PCDD, PCDF and dl-PCB pollution within the river catchment (Fig. 1SI) Insight into the role of complex interactions occurring in the catchment allows enhancement in our understanding of hydrological and 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Ecohydrological system solutions to enhance ecosystem services: The Pilica River demonstration project Environment and economy - Dual benefit of ecohydrology and phytotechnology in water resources management: Pilica River Demonstration Project under the auspices of UNESCO and UNEP Environment and economy - dual benefit of ecohydrology and phytotechnology Enabling next generation ecological science: Report on the design and implementation phase of LTER-Europe under ALTER-Net & management plan 2009/2010 LTER-Europe Design and Implementation Report A biogeochemical barrier to enhance a buffer zone for reducing diffuse phosphorus pollution — preliminary results Concentrations and Toxic Equivalency of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Polish Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents Estimating Exposure to Dioxin-like Compounds: Properties Method 1613 Tetra- through Octa-Chlorinated Dioxins and Furans by Isotope Dilution HRGC/HRMS Download references The field research was conducted within the framework of the National Science Centre and of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education Project No The laboratory scale experiments have been founded under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education programme under the name “Iuventus Plus” for the years 2015–2017: Project No and the project funded by the National Science Centre granted on the basis of the decision number DEC-2013/09/D/ ST10/04043 Data analysis and manuscript preparation was performed within the Kosciuszko Foundation scholarship programme for the year 2018 (A comparative study of the pollution status of two rivers located in catchments of different anthropogenic impact: the case of the Pilica and Hudson river) European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Research design and field and laboratory data collection: U.M. W.A.; analysis and interpretation of data: U.M. Zi.M.; writing and revising of the manuscript: U.M. The authors declare no competing interests Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-55973-3 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology