ePiE is a spatially explicit model that estimates concentrations of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in surface waters across Europe (Oldenkamp et al. 2018). Based on relatively few data entries such as national consumption data, compound properties and environmental fate parameters, the ePiE model estimates average pharmaceutical concentrations in European river catchments. This application was developed by Selwyn Hoeks at Radboud University supported by the PREMIER project to facilitate the use of the ePiE model.
By clicking through the different tabs at the top of the page, you can parameterize and run the ePiE model. For defining the API properties there are two options:
A comprehensive manual can be found here: manual
More details about the model equations can be found here: technical details
Please check the following link to check if a more recent version is available: check for updates
Current version: vvv
In this tab, the API's physicochemical properties as well as fate properties need to be specified. API properties can be entered manually using the tables below or loaded from an Excel file. An Excel template with the values for 36 example APIs can be retrieved from the button 'Get Excel template'. The Excel template includes a pre-defined list of APIs for which the model is already parametrized, these can be used directly, modified or replaced by new APIs.
All values need to be filled in both tables need to be filled to continue.
Please hover over the table headers to get an explanation of each parameter.
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Use the map below to select one or multiple river basins to compute surface water concentrations for. You can remove already selected basins by clicking on them for a second time or by clicking on their ID listed below the map.
The basin map can be reloaded when needed (for example when the map does not load properly).
ePiE has the option to make predictions for the longterm yearly average flow, minimum and maximum flow conditions for the years 2000-2015. The default option is average yearly flow. Use the drop-down menu below to change the flow conditions.
Selected flow:
Average
Within the ePiE model, locations and specifications of European wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are based on the 'Urban Waste Water Treatment Database' (UWWTD). Please note that therefore, small treatment plants (less then 2000 population equivalents) are not integrated into ePiE. To account for wastewater treatment within ePiE, removal fractions per API are required for each individual treatment step within a WWTP. Primary and secondary removal rates can be estimated via SimpleTreat 4.0 (based on compound properties) or entered manually (e.g. based on experimental or literature data).
Removal fractions need to be between 0 and 1.
The definitions of individual treatment steps used within ePiE are based on the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and the in OECD glossary:
Primary treatment refers to the “treatment of urban wastewater by a physical and/or chemical process involving settlement of suspended solids, or other processes in which the BOD5 of the incoming waste water is reduced by at least 20 % before discharge and the total suspended solids of the incoming waste water are reduced by at least 50 %”.
Secondary treatment is the second step in most waste treatment systems during which bacteria consume the organic parts of the wastes. This is accomplished by bringing the sewage, bacteria and oxygen together in trickling filters or within an activated sludge process. Secondary treatment removes all floating and settleable solids and about 90 per cent of the oxygen—demanding substances and suspended solids. Disinfection by chlorination is the final stage of the secondary treatment process.
Source: Glossary of Environment Statistics, Studies in Methods, Series F, No. 67, United Nations, New York, 1997
By clicking the button 'Generate table', a table will be created below based on the selected river basins and their respective countries. The average per capita consumption values (g/capita/year) can be entered at the top, which will automatically populate the country-specific total consumption values (kg/year) based on the population in a specific year (default is 2024).
Please hover over the table headers to get an explanation of each parameter as well as the required unit.
After parameterisation the ePiE model can be run. Additionally, the current workspace (all settings stored in the previous tabs) can be exported for future runs.
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Progress:
Here the estimated river concentrations can visualized spatially on a map, click the button 'Generate map' to visualize the results. Additionally, the spatial data can be exported as GeoJSON file and the full output data (including non-spatial data) can be exported as Excel file.
Here the risks are mapped spatially by comparing the estimated river concentrations against a risk threshold. Please set the risk threshold you want to compare the concentrations against and click the button 'Generate map'.
Here the estimated river concentrations can summerized. Click the button 'Calculate statistics' to populate the table.
All settings in the current workspace can be viewed below. Additionally, the current workspace (all settings stored in the previous tabs) can be exported for future runs.
API properties:
{Undefined}
WWTP removal:
{Undefined}
Selected basins:
{Undefined}
Selected flow:
{Undefined}
Consumption data:
{Undefined}