Can the ratio galaxolide-lactone: Galaxolide be a good tracer of wastewater in freshwaters?

Traces of almost all the substances consumed by humans or released by anthropic and industrial activities end up in the environment and can give information on their sources if measured in the different environmental compartments. Because each of these substances has different transformation pathways in natural systems or in treatment plants, the simultaneous analysis of different tracers with their metabolites and transformation products under different hydrological and precipitation regimes can be powerful means to assess the relative contribution of different sources and processes. Polycyclic musks were studied to assess their suitability as markers of domestic wastewater contamination of surface freshwaters