Abstract
The occurrence, seasonal variation, and environmental impact of five widely used parabens, methyl-(MeP), ethyl-(EtP), n-propyl-(n-PrP), n-butyl-(n-BuP), and benzyl-(BzP) parabens, were investigated in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in Guangzhou, China, for 1 year. The concentrations of ∑5parabens in the influent and the effluent were 94.2–957 and 0.89–14.7 ng L−1, respectively. The influent paraben concentrations in autumn were significantly lower than in winter, spring, and summer, and the concentrations were generally higher in spring. The removal efficiencies of ∑5parabens in the dissolved phase were over 96%, with high efficiencies in MeP, EtP, and n-PrP. Risk assessment indicated that parabens in the effluent were not likely to pose an environmental risk to aquatic ecosystems. The present study indicates that the treatment processes employed in full-scale WWTPs are effective at removing parabens and highlights the possibility of utilizing WWTPs for restoring water quality in riverine and coastal regions heavily impacted by paraben contamination.
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Funding
The project is supported by Guangzhou University’s 2017 training program for young top-notch personnel (BJ201713), National Natural Science Foundation of China (21477100 and 41230639), Strategic Research Grant (7004184), CityU Startup Grant (7200384), MFPRC Grant (9680132), and Guizhou Provincial Department of Education Youth Science and Technology Talents Growth Project (No. KY[2017]300).
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Liu, Z., Tam, N.F.Y., Kuo, D.T.F. et al. Removal, seasonal variation, and environmental impact of parabens in a municipal wastewater treatment facility in Guangzhou, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 28006–28015 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09083-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09083-7