Data on the profile of organic contaminants in the L'Albufera Natural Park (2019-2020). Target and non-target screening

Abstract

This article presents a dataset on 71 pesticide levels and the identification of additional synthetic organic chemicals, including pharmaceuticals and industrial compounds, in L'Albufera Natural Park (Valencia, Spain). Sampling was conducted during May-June (spring) and end of September-October (autumn) 2019, timed to the rice cultivation cycle, the region's main agricultural activity. A total of 130 samples (100 water and 30 sediments) were collected from 51 strategically selected sites, including rivers, irrigation channels, Albufera Lake, and Mediterranean outlets, utilizing a combination of targeted and non-targeted screening (NTS) methods. The dataset encompasses physical-chemical parameters for both spring and autumn seasons. Advanced analytical techniques, such as high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), were employed to detect contaminants beyond traditional methods, providing critical insights for environmental management and policy development. The findings contribute to addressing gaps in knowledge regarding contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and their distribution across different environmental compartments. These data supplement the findings of the research article "Fingerprinting of Emerging Contaminants in L'Albufera Natural Park (Valencia, Spain): Implications for Wetland Ecosystem Health".

Keywords: Industrial compounds; Pesticides; Pharmaceuticals; Sediments; Spatial distribution; Surface waters.

Fig. 1

Location of L´Albufera Natural Park, as well as the location of the sampling points and agricultural land use.

Fig. 2

Grab water samples extraction.

Fig. 3

Sediment extraction for moderately polar compounds.

Fig. 4

Sediment extraction for polar compounds.

Fig. 5

Workflow “Environmental w Stats Unknown ID w Online and Local Database Searches” in Compound Discoverer software.

Fig. 6

Distribution of the total concentrations of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and other compounds by target analysis in water samples in spring (left), autumn (middle) and sediment samples (right).

Fig. 7

Median concentrations (ng L^-1) of quantified pesticides in at least one sampling site in surface water in spring (A) and autumn (B). The color white represents fungicides, blue denotes herbicides, and purple signifies insecticides. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

Fig. 8

Median concentrations (ng g^-1) of quantified pesticides in at least one sampling site in sediment samples. The color white represents fungicides, blue denotes herbicides, and purple signifies insecticides. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

Fig. 9

Spatial pollution patterns of quantified pesticides in water samples in spring based on compound concentrations (ng L⁻¹) detected in the study sites (data log-transformed, scaled and centered). The color of each cell indicates scaled intensity level increasing from blue to red. Heatmaps were created in R (version 4.3.1) (R package ‘gplots’, function heatmap.2). (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

Fig. 10

Spatial pollution patterns of quantified pesticides in water samples in autumn based on compound concentrations (ng L⁻¹) detected in the study sites (data log-transformed, scaled and centered). The color of each cell indicates scaled intensity level increasing from blue to red. Heatmaps were created in R (version 4.3.1). (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

Fig. 11

Spatial pollution patterns of quantified pesticides in sediment samples based on compound concentrations (ng g⁻¹) detected in the study sites (data log-transformed, scaled and centered). The color of each cell indicates scaled intensity level increasing from blue to red. Heatmaps were created in R (version 4.3.1). (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)