Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Occurrence and distribution of organic corrosion inhibitors (OCIs) in riverine sediments from the Pearl River Delta, South China

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although soluble organic corrosion inhibitors (OCIs) have been observed globally in surface water, data on their exposures in sediments are still scarce. In this study, a comprehensive investigation on spatial variations and potential sources of OCIs were conducted in riverine sediments from the Pearl River Delta (PRD), one of the most developed and urbanized areas in China. Of 12 OCIs, 7 were detected with the total concentrations ranging from 81.8 to 401.2 ng/g. When the results were compared with those of the water phase, OCIs in the riverine sediments exhibited relatively low concentrations, which was likely due to their low Kow, and they were not expected to be adsorbed onto sediments. The spatial variation of OCIs suggested that the discharge of sewage treatment plants (STPs) effluent could be a major source of OCIs in the PRD region. The total concentrations of OCIs had a significant positive correlation with total organic carbon (TOC) contents, suggesting that they have similar sources. This study strongly indicated that the high consumption of OCIs have led to their wide exposure in different environments in the PRD region and additional ecotoxicological data are needed to evaluate their potential risks in riverine sediments in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

All the data used for this study are included in this published article.

References

  • Alotaibi MD, McKinley AJ, Patterson BM, Reeder AY (2015) Benzotriazoles in the Aquatic environment: a review of their occurrence, toxicity, degradation and analysis. Water Air Soil Pollut:226

  • Apel C, Joerss H, Ebinghaus R (2018) Environmental occurrence and hazard of organic UV stabilizers and UV filters in the sediment of European North and Baltic Seas. Chemosphere 212:254–261

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Asheim J, Vike-Jonas K, Gonzalez SV, Lierhagen S, Venkatraman V, Veivag I-LS, Snilsberg B, Flaten TP, Asimakopoulos AG (2019) Benzotriazoles, benzothiazoles and trace elements in an urban road setting in Trondheim, Norway: re-visiting the chemical markers of traffic pollution. Sci Total Environ 649:703–711

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Asimakopoulos AG, Ajibola A, Kannan K, Thomaidis NS (2013) Occurrence and removal efficiencies of benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles in a wastewater treatment plant in Greece. Sci Total Environ 452:163–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkholz DA, Stilson SM, Elliott HS (2014) 2.11 - Analysis of emerging contaminants in drinking water – a review. In: Ahuja S (ed) Comprehensive water quality and purification. Elsevier, Waltham, pp 212–229

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Breedveld G, Roseth R, Hem L (2002) Triazoles in the terrestrial environment. 20001103–1. Final Report. Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo

    Google Scholar 

  • Cancilla DA, Holtkamp A, Matassa L, Fang XC (1997) Isolation and characterization of microtox(R)-active components from aircraft de-icing/anti-icing fluids. Environ Toxicol Chem 16:430–434

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cornell JS, Pillard DA, Hernandez MT (2000) Comparative measures of the toxicity of component chemicals in aircraft deicing fluid. Environ Toxicol Chem 19:1465–1472

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Corsi SR, Geis SW, Loyo-Rosales JE, Rice CP, Sheesley RJ, Failey GG, Cancilla DA (2006) Characterization of aircraft deicer and anti-icer components and toxicity in airport snowbanks and snowmelt runoff. Environ Sci Technol 40:3195–3202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Damalas DE, Bletsou AA, Agalou A, Beis D, Thomaidis NS (2018) Assessment of the acute toxicity, uptake and biotransformation potential of benzotriazoles in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae combining HILIC- with RPLC-HRMS for high-throughput identification. Environ Sci Technol 52:6023–6031

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fent K, Chew G, Li J, Gomez E (2014) Benzotriazole UV-stabilizers and benzotriazole: antiandrogenic activity in vitro and activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway in zebrafish eleuthero-embryos. Sci Total Environ 482:125–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giger W, Schaffner C, Kohler H-PE (2006) Benzotriazole and tolyltriazole as aquatic contaminants. 1. Input and occurrence in rivers and lakes. Environ Sci Technol 40:7186–7192

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giraudo M, Douville M, Cottin G, Houde M (2017) Transcriptomic, cellular and life-history responses of Daphnia magna chronically exposed to benzotriazoles: endocrine-disrupting potential and molting effects. Plos One 12

  • Gorga M, Insa S, Petrovic M, Barcelo D (2015) Occurrence and spatial distribution of EDCs and related compounds in waters and sediments of Iberian rivers. Sci Total Environ 503:69–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goyal M, Kumar S, Bahadur I, Verma C, Ebenso EE (2018) Organic corrosion inhibitors for industrial cleaning of ferrous and nonferrous metals in acidic solutions: a review. J Mol Liquids 256:565–573

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Han X, Xie Z, Tian Y, Yan W, Miao L, Zhang L, Zhu X, Xu W (2020) Spatial and seasonal variations of organic corrosion inhibitors in the Pearl River, South China: contributions of sewage discharge and urban rainfall runoff. Environ Pollut 262

  • Harris CA, Routledge EJ, Schaffner C, Brian JV, Giger W, Sumpter JP (2007) Benzotriazole is antiestrogenic in vitro but not in vivo. Environ Toxicol Chem 26:2367–2372

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hart DS, Davis LC, Erickson LE, Callender TM (2004) Sorption and partitioning parameters of benzotriazole compounds. Microchem J 77:9–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • He T, Liang B, Liu W, Shin PKS, Wu RSS (2012) Estrogenic potential of benzotriazole on marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma). Ecotoxicol Environ Safety 80:327–332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu L-X, Cheng Y-X, Wu D, Fan L, Zhao J-H, Xiong Q, Chen Q-L, Liu Y-S, Ying G-G (2021) Continuous input of organic ultraviolet filters and benzothiazoles threatens the surface water and sediment of two major rivers in the Pearl River Basin. Sci Total Environ:798

  • Huang Y, Zhang D, Yang Y, Zeng X, Ran Y (2018) Distribution and partitioning of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sediments from the Pearl River Delta and Guiyu, South China. Environ Pollut 235:104–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karthikraj R, Kannan K (2017) Mass loading and removal of benzotriazoles, benzothiazoles, benzophenones, and bisphenols in Indian sewage treatment plants. Chemosphere 181:216–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiss A, Fries E (2009) Occurrence of benzotriazoles in the rivers Main, Hengstbach, and Hegbach (Germany). Environ Sci Pollut Res 16:702–710

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kloepfer A, Jekel M, Reemtsma T (2005) Occurrence, sources, and fate of benzothiazoles in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Environ Sci Technol 39:3792–3798

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kokalj A, Lozinsek M, Kapun B, Taheri P, Neupane S, Losada-Perez P, Xie C, Stavber S, Crespo D, Renner FU, Mol A, Milosev I (2021) Simplistic correlations between molecular electronic properties and inhibition efficiencies: Do they really exist? Corrosion Sci 179

  • Kong L, Kadokami K, Wang S, Hanh Thi D, Hong Thi Cam C (2015) Monitoring of 1300 organic micro-pollutants in surface waters from Tianjin, North China. Chemosphere 122:125–130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kong L, Kadokami K, Hanh Thi D, Hong Thi Cam C (2016) Screening of 1300 organic micro-pollutants in groundwater from Beijing and Tianjin, North China. Chemosphere 165:221–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koprdova A, Bachrata M, Adamcova V, Valica M, Pipiska M, Hornik M (2018) Chemometric characterization of synthetic dye sorption onto Slovakian river sediments: a laboratory batch experiment. Separations:5

  • Kowalska K, Felis E, Sochacki A, Bajkacz S (2019) Removal and transformation pathways of benzothiazole and benzotriazole in membrane bioreactors treating synthetic municipal wastewater. Chemosphere 227:162–171

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumata H, Takada H, Ogura N (1996) 2-(4-morpholinyl)benzothiazole as a molecular marker of street runoff and street dust: analytical method and environmental distribution. Abstracts of Papers Am Chem Society 212:41-ENVR

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumata H, Yamada J, Masuda K, Takada H, Sato Y, Sakurai T, Fujiwara K (2002) Benzothiazolamines as tire-derived molecular markers: sorptive behavior in street runoff and application to source apportioning. Environ Sci Technol 36:702–708

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • la Farre M, Perez S, Kantiani L, Barcelo D (2008) Fate and toxicity of emerging pollutants, their metabolites and transformation products in the aquatic environment. Trac-Trends Analytical Chem 27:991–1007

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liao C, Kim U-J, Kannan K (2018) A review of environmental occurrence, fate, exposure, and toxicity of benzothiazoles. Environ Sci Technol 52:5007–5026

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mizukawa A, Molins-Delgado D, Rodrigues de Azevedo JC, Scapulatempo Fernandes CV, Diaz-Cruz S, Barcelo D (2017) Sediments as a sink for UV filters and benzotriazoles: the case study of Upper Iguacu watershed, Curitiba (Brazil). Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:18284–18294

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Montesdeoca-Esponda S, Alvarez-Raya C, Esther Torres-Padron M, Sosa-Ferrera Z, Juan Santana-Rodriguez J (2019) Monitoring and environmental risk assessment of benzotriazole UV stabilizers in the sewage and coastal environment of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). J Environ Manag 233:567–575

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ni H-G, Lu F-H, Luo X-L, Tian H-Y, Zeng EY (2008) Occurrence, phase distribution, and mass loadings of benzothiazoles in riverine runoff of the Pearl River Delta, China. Environ Sci Technol 42:1892–1897

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ni H-G, Shen R-L, Zeng H, Zeng EY (2009) Fate of linear alkylbenzenes and benzothiazoles of anthropogenic origin and their potential as environmental molecular markers in the Pearl River Delta, South China. Environ Pollut 157:3502–3507

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pan S, Sun Y, Zhang G, Li J, Xie Q, Chaktaborty P (2012) Assessment of 2-(4-morpholinyl) benzothiazole (24MoBT) and N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazolamine (NCBA) as traffic tracers in metropolitan cities of China and India. Atmospheric Environ 56:246–249

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parajulee A, Lei YD, De Silva AO, Cao X, Mitchell CPJ, Wania F (2017) Assessing the source-to-stream transport of benzotriazoles during rainfall and snowmelt in urban and agricultural watersheds. Environ Sci Technol 51:4191–4198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parajulee A, Lei YD, Kananathalingam A, Mitchell CPJ, Wania F (2018) Investigating the sources and transport of benzotriazole UV stabilizers during rainfall and snowmelt across an urbanization gradient. Environ Sci Technol 52:2595–2602

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peng X, Zhu Z, Xiong S, Fan Y, Chen G, Tang C (2020) Tissue distribution, growth dilution, and species-specific bioaccumulation of organic ultraviolet absorbents in wildlife freshwater fish in the Pearl River catchment, China. Environ Toxicol Chem 39:343–351

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy CM, Quinn JG, King JW (2000) Free and bound benzotriazoles in marine and freshwater sediments. Environ Sci Technol 34:973–979

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reemtsma T, Fiehn O, Kalnowski G, Jekel M (1995) Microbial transformations and biological effects of fungicide-derived benzothiazoles determined in industrial waste-water. Environ Sci Technol 29:478–485

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reemtsma T, Miehe U, Duennbier U, Jekel M (2010) Polar pollutants in municipal wastewater and the water cycle: occurrence and removal of benzotriazoles. Water Res 44:596–604

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson SD (2008) Environmental mass spectrometry: Emerging contaminants and current issues. Analytical Chem 80:4373–4402

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruan T, Liu R, Fu Q, Thanh W, Wang Y, Song S, Wang P, Teng M, Jiang G (2012) Concentrations and composition profiles of benzotriazole UV stabilizers in municipal sewage sludge in China. Environ Sci Technol 46:2071–2079

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schlumpf M, Cotton B, Conscience M, Haller V, Steinmann B, Lichtensteiger W (2001) In vitro and in vivo estrogenicity of UV screens. Environ Health Perspect 109:239–244

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seeland A, Oetken M, Kiss A, Fries E, Oehlmann J (2012) Acute and chronic toxicity of benzotriazoles to aquatic organisms. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19:1781–1790

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma S, Ko X, Kurapati Y, Singh H, Nesic S (2019) Adsorption behavior of organic corrosion inhibitors on metal surfaces-some new insights from molecular simulations. Corrosion 75:90–105

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shi Z-Q, Liu Y-S, Xiong Q, Cai W-W, Ying G-G (2019) Occurrence, toxicity and transformation of six typical benzotriazoles in the environment: a review. Sci Total Environ 661:407–421

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silvia Diaz-Cruz M, Molins-Delgado D, Pau Serra-Roig M, Kalogianni E, Skoulikidis NT, Barcelo D (2019) Personal care products reconnaissance in EVROTAS river (Greece): water-sediment partition and bioaccumulation in fish. Sci Total Environ 651:3079–3089

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sorahan T (2008) Bladder cancer risks in workers manufacturing chemicals for the rubber industry. Occupational Med-Oxford 58:496–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stasinakis AS, Thomaidis NS, Arvaniti OS, Asimakopoulos AG, Samaras VG, Ajibola A, Mamais D, Lekkas TD (2013) Contribution of primary and secondary treatment on the removal of benzothiazoles, benzotriazoles, endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals and perfluorinated compounds in a sewage treatment plant. Sci Total Environ 463:1067–1075

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan X-X, Luo X-J, Zheng X-B, Li Z-R, Sun R-X, Mai B-X (2016) Distribution of organophosphorus flame retardants in sediments from the Pearl River Delta in South China. Sci Total Environ 544:77–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tan B, Lan W, Zhang S, Deng H, Qiang Y, Fu A, Ran Y, Xiong J, Marzouki R, Li W (2022a) Passiflora edulia Sims leaves extract as renewable and degradable inhibitor for copper in sulfuric acid solution. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem Eng Aspects 645:128892

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tan B, Zhang S, Cao X, Fu A, Guo L, Marzouki R, Li W (2022b) Insight into the anti-corrosion performance of two food flavors as eco-friendly and ultra-high performance inhibitors for copper in sulfuric acid medium. J Colloid Interface Sci 609:838–851

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van Leerdam JA, Hogenboom AC, van der Kooi MME, de Voogt P (2009) Determination of polar 1H-benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles in water by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography LTQ FT Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Int J Mass Spectrom 282:99–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vimalkumar K, Arun E, Krishna-Kumar S, Poopal RK, Nikhil NP, Subramanian A, Babu-Rajendran R (2018) Occurrence of triclocarban and benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers in water, sediment, and fish from Indian rivers. Sci Total Environ 625:1351–1360

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Asimakopoulos AG, Moon H-B, Nakata H, Kannan K (2013) Benzotriazole, benzothiazole, and benzophenone compounds in indoor dust from the United States and East Asian countries. Environ Sci Technol 47:4752–4759

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Zhang J, Sun H, Zhou Q (2016) Widespread occurrence of benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles in tap water: influencing factors and contribution to human exposure. Environ Sci Technol 50:2709–2717

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wick A, Jacobs B, Kunkel U, Heininger P, Ternes TA (2016) Benzotriazole UV stabilizers in sediments, suspended particulate matter and fish of German rivers: new insights into occurrence, time trends and persistency. Environ Pollut 212:401–412

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu W-h, Zhang G, Zou S-c, Li X-d, Liu Y-c (2007a) Determination of selected antibiotics in the Victoria Harbour and the Pearl River, South China using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Environ Pollut 145:672–679

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu W, Zhang G, Li X, Zou S, Li P, Hu Z, Li J (2007b) Occurrence and elimination of antibiotics at four sewage treatment plants in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China. Water Res 41:4526–4534

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu W, Yan W, Chen Z, Chen H, Huang W, Lin T (2014) Organic matters and lipid biomarkers in surface sediments from the northern South China Sea: origins and transport. J Earth Sci 25:189–196

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu W, Yan W, Licha T (2015) Simultaneous determination of trace benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles in water by large-volume injection/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Chromatography A 1422:270–276

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu M, Luo X, Chen S, Mai B, Zeng EY (2008) Organochlorine pesticides in the surface water and sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, South China. Environ Toxicol Chem 27:10–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Z, Ren N, Li Y-F, Kunisue T, Gao D, Kannan K (2011a) Determination of benzotriazole and benzophenone UV filters in sediment and sewage sludge. Environ Sci Technol 45:3909–3916

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZF, Ren NQ, Li YF, Kunisue T, Gao DW, Kannan K (2011b) Determination of benzotriazole and benzophenone UV filters in sediment and sewage sludge. Environ Sci Technol 45:3909–3916

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank LetPub (www.letpub.com) for its linguistic assistance during the preparation of this manuscript.

Funding

This work was funded by the Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (No. GML2019ZD0206) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41877295). This research was also supported by Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 422CXTD533), K.C. Wong Education Foundation (No. GJTD-2018-13) and Science and Technology Basic Resources Investigation Program of China (No. 2017FY201403).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China

    Weihai Xu, Lulu Zhang, Yuhang Tian, Xiaowei Zhu, Xue Han, Li Miao & Wen Yan

  2. Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Weihai Xu, Lulu Zhang, Yuhang Tian, Xiaowei Zhu, Xue Han, Li Miao & Wen Yan

  3. Sanya Institute of Oceanology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000, China

    Weihai Xu

  4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Lulu Zhang, Xue Han & Wen Yan

Authors
  1. Weihai Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lulu Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yuhang Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xiaowei Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xue Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Li Miao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Wen Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Weihai Xu and Lulu Zhang designed the study and wrote the manuscript; Yuhang Tian and Xiaowei Zhu organized the field campaign; Xue Han and Li Miao analyzed the samples; Wen Yan contributed to the writing of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Weihai Xu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Ester Heath

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

ESM 1

(DOCX 59 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xu, W., Zhang, L., Tian, Y. et al. Occurrence and distribution of organic corrosion inhibitors (OCIs) in riverine sediments from the Pearl River Delta, South China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 76961–76969 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21192-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21192-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation