Dataset for "Safeguarding drinking water by modelling the fate of amines from CO₂ capture in North-Western Europe" Clayer et al

Dataset for Clayer et al. \"Safeguarding drinking water by modelling the fate of amines from CO₂ capture in North-Western Europe\"

Abstract:
The European Union (EU) net-zero target for 2050 requires large-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Amine-based CO₂ capture (CC), the most mature CCS technology, emits nitrosamines (NSAs) and nitramines (NAs), carcinogenic compounds that can persist in water resources. Hence, EU’s ambition towards carbon neutrality might pose risk of drinking water contamination as well as ecosystem and agricultural crops pollution. We compiled a dataset of planned CCS projects in the Franco-Danish corridor, Europe’s future CCS hub, where most capacity will be located by 2030, with at least 40% based on amine technology. Spatial analysis indicates that up to 10.2 million inhabitants, large Natura 2000 reserves, and extensive crop areas may be exposed to NA and NSA deposition, often in regions already under severe water stress. Biogeochemical modelling shows that surface waters with short residence times are highly sensitive to deposition rates, whereas groundwater concentrations depend strongly on the interplay between NA/NSA half-lives and travel times, creating greater uncertainty in aquifers, especially small systems with limited dilution. These findings highlight the need for regional-scale modelling and harmonized regulation to safeguard drinking water, ecosystems, and food security as CCS deployment expands.