Potential of low-enthalpy geothermal energy to degrade organic contaminants of emerging concern in urban groundwater

Low-enthalpy geothermal energy (LEGE) is a carbon-free and renewable source to provide cooling and heating to infrastructures (e.g. buildings) by exchanging their temperature with that of the ground. The exchange of temperature modifies the groundwater temperature around LEGE installations, which ma...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Pujades, Estanislao, Jurado, Anna, Scheiber, Laura, Teixidó, Marc, Criollo Manjarrez, Rotman A., Vázquez-Suñé, Enric, Vilarrasa, Víctor
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Recursos:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/296003
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/296003
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85148060366
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Geothermal energy
Emerging concern
Organic contaminants
Urban groundwater
Descrição
Resumo:Low-enthalpy geothermal energy (LEGE) is a carbon-free and renewable source to provide cooling and heating to infrastructures (e.g. buildings) by exchanging their temperature with that of the ground. The exchange of temperature modifies the groundwater temperature around LEGE installations, which may contribute to enhancing the capacity of aquifers to degrade organic contaminants of emerging concern (OCECs), whose presence is significantly increasing in urban aquifers. Here, we investigate the impact of LEGE on OCECs and their bioremediation potential through numerical modelling of synthetic and real-based cases. Simulation results demonstrate that: (i) LEGE facilities have the potential to noticeably modify the concentrations of OCECs; and (ii) the final impact depends on the design of the facility. This study suggests that optimized LEGE facility designs could contribute to the degradation of OCECs present in urban aquifers, thus improving groundwater quality and increasing its availability in urban areas.