How could the heavy rainfall affect the concentration of pollutants in the Brisbane river?

Pollutants discharged in the river can get concentrated in the water, especially in rivers with a slow flow such as the Brisbane river. In 2017, there was a rainfall due to Cyclone Debbie and a subsequent flood that drastically affected the concentration of PPCPs and PFAS in the water. The aim of this study was to measure the concentration of these pollutants in the water and also to infer how they evolve after this event. This information would provide a better understanding about the effects of heavy rain in one among the most affected ecosystems by the discharge of pollutants, rivers. Furthermore could help to predict its short and medium term effect in rivers with similar hydrology.

Rodrigo Alvarez Ruiz is a PhD student in University of Valencia, Spain. He finished his Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences in Madrid. In 2013 Rodrigo moved to Valencia were he completed a postgraduate in Environmental Pollution, Toxicology and Health. In 2017, he started his PhD in Environmental Pollution, while completing a postgraduate in Secondary Education Teaching (2018). Currently, he is part of the Environmental and Food Safety Research Group (SAMA-UV) and Desertification Research Center (CIDE). His research is focused in the development of multiresidue methods for the simultaneous extraction and identification of pollutants from different groups (pharmaceuticals, perfluoroalkyl substances, pesticides, etc.) and their accumulation in aquatic environments and biota.