Articles | Volume 30, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1969-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1969-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Diffuse sources of TFA: atmospheric and terrestrial inputs, retention and pathways at the catchment scale
Immanuel Frenzel
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Chair of Hydrology, University Freiburg i.Br., 79098 Freiburg, Germany
Dario Nöltge
Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Freiburg i.Br., 79104 Freiburg, Germany
Finnian Freeling
Technologiezentrum Wasser, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany
Michael Müller
Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Freiburg i.Br., 79104 Freiburg, Germany
Jens Lange
Chair of Hydrology, University Freiburg i.Br., 79098 Freiburg, Germany
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Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-812, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-812, 2026
Preprint under review for ESSD
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We developed the first global database of water from karst springs and cave drips that records different forms of oxygen and hydrogen, which naturally trace how rainwater moves through rocks. By gathering and checking thousands of measurements from around the globe and linking them with flow and rainfall data, the database provides a comprehensive view of water movement, allows scientists to compare regions, understand groundwater processes, and support sustainable water management worldwide.
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We used a two-step approach with limited sampling effort in existing storm water infrastructure to illustrate the risk of biocide emission in a 2 ha urban area 13 years after construction had ended. First samples at a swale confirmed the overall relevance of biocide pollution. Then we identified sources where biocides were used for film protection and pathways where transformation products were formed. Our results suggest that biocide pollution is a also continuous risk in aging urban areas.
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We analyzed variability in diel nitrate patterns at three locations in a lowland stream. Comparison of time lags between monitoring sites with water travel time indicated that diel patterns were created by in-stream processes rather than transported downstream from an upstream point of origin. Most of the patterns (70 %) could be explained by assimilatory nitrate uptake. The remaining patterns suggest seasonally varying dominance and synchronicity of different biochemical processes.
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Short summary
We studied trifluoroacetate (TFA) in a German river catchment. TFA from rain was not permanently retained in soils or plants and can be mobilized by heavy rain, meaning soils and plants may hold more TFA than rivers or rainfall indicate. In areas with precipitation input only, TFA served as a new tracer for determining actual evapotranspiration. The agricultural area showed higher TFA in surface and groundwater, suggesting that agriculture increases TFA pollution.
We studied trifluoroacetate (TFA) in a German river catchment. TFA from rain was not permanently...