Simulating fate and transport of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs using Root Zone Water Quality Model 2

• Published in: Journal of environmental quality Vol. 52; no. 6; pp. 1178 - 1192
• Main Authors: Shu, Weixi, Price, Gordon W., Jamieson, Rob, Lake, Craig
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.11.2023
• ISSN: 0047-2425; 1537-2537
• DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20509

Abstract The fate and transport of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in soil are determined by various processes, and the complexity of the system lends itself to the use of computer simulation models to help understand it. This study demonstrated the first attempt to use empirical data from lab incubation and field studies to parameterize and test a process‐based agricultural systems model, Root Zone Water Quality Model 2 (RZWQM2), to simulate the fate and transport of naproxen (NPX), ibuprofen (IBF), and ketoprofen (KTF) in field‐based lysimeters amended with alkaline‐treated biosolids (ATBs). The model calibrated for the soil–water balance module and contaminant transport module was used to predict water seepage through the soil profile in 2017 and 2018 within a 15% error of the field measured data, with model performance statistics such as Nash—Sutcliffe model efficiency (NSE) and R 2 all greater than 0.70. The overall predicted percent recovery of initial spiked NSAIDs in both soil and water samples, after further calibration of the contaminant transport module, was within the same order of magnitude as the measured data. The model underestimated the percent recovery of initial spiked NSAIDs at the 30‐ to 55‐cm soil depth for all treatments on day 3. The calibrated soil subsurface aerobic half‐lives of NPX and IBF were found to be considerably lower than their laboratory‐measured half‐lives obtained from the incubation study. The overall performance of RZWQM2 in simulating the soil hydrology and behavior of NSAIDs in soil profiles receiving various rates of ATB amendments was satisfactory. Core Ideas A process‐based model was evaluated to simulate the behavior of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in soil amended with biosolids. The model is capable of simulating daily water seepage and soil–water balances with high accuracy. The model successfully predicted the percent recovery of initial spiked NSAIDs in soil profiles and water samples. The calibrated soil subsurface aerobic half‐lives of naproxen and ibuprofen were lower than the laboratory‐measured half‐lives.