The demand of water for human consumption in urban areas is crucial where groundwater must be consider a useful resource, but commonly in these context due to anthropic activities these water are highly contaminated. Among these contaminants of special interest are the contaminants of emerging concern which present a high risk to the aquatic environment and human health. We found and study a series of these compounds in Barcelona’s groundwaters and identify some possible origins/sources of them.

This paper explores the impact of low enthalpy geothermal energy (LEGE) on the behaviour of organic contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Specifically, we investigate the impact of LEGE on phenazone that is an analgesic drug commonly reported in urban aquifers. CECs pose a risk for the environment and human health, and thus, they must be eliminated to increase the available fresh-water resources in urban areas, where water scarcity is a matter of concern due to the population growth.

Underground pumped storage hydropower (UPSH) induces hydrochemical changes that may impact the environment and the efficiency of the system, especially if pyrite is present. This works assess the role of the hydraulic conductivity and the porosity on the system behavior by means of coupled hydro-chemical numerical models. This is helpful for selecting the most adequate abandoned mines for constructing UPSH plants.