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Occurrence and distribution of phthalate esters and pharmaceuticals in Taiwan river sediments

  • SEDIMENTS, SEC 1 • SEDIMENT QUALITY AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

Phthalate esters (PAEs), pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PPCPs) are used in industry, biosciences, agriculture, animal husbandry, food industry, and by humans. The aim of this study was to understand the occurrence, spatial distribution, and temporal variation of six phthalate esters and pharmaceuticals in river sediments in Taiwan.

Materials and methods

Surface sediments were sampled seven times at five bridge sites along the Dianbao River in Southern Taiwan. The sediment samples were collected using an Ekman grab sampler. Sediment extraction was performed with an ultrasonic probe, and the extracts were analyzed to determine 6 phthalate esters, 18 antibiotics, and 10 nonantibiotics, using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS).

Results and discussion

The average concentrations of PAEs were <1 to 1949 μg kg−1 dry weight (dw), with di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate being the highest and butyl benzyl phthalate the lowest. Four antibiotics (i.e., ciprofloxacin, lincomycin, norfloxacin, and sulfathiazole) and four nonantibiotics (i.e., caffeine, triclosan, acetaminophen, and sulfamethoxazole) were detected with average concentrations ranging from non-detectable to 9 μg kg−1 dw. Higher concentrations correlated with specific discharge sources and the rainy season. Compared to PAEs and pharmaceuticals in river sediments around the world, the Dianbao River sediments are less contaminated except for di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), which is the second highest in the world.

Conclusions

Compared to other rivers, the Dianbao River sediments are less contaminated except for DnBP. The monitoring of pharmaceuticals in river sediments is the first of its kind in Taiwan.

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Acknowledgments

This work was sponsored by NSYSU Project on “Aim for Top University and Elite Research Center.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan

    Gordon C. C. Yang, Chih-Lung Wang & Yu-Han Chiu

  2. Center for Emerging Contaminants Research, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan

    Gordon C. C. Yang

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  1. Gordon C. C. Yang
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  2. Chih-Lung Wang
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Correspondence to Chih-Lung Wang.

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Yang, G.C.C., Wang, CL. & Chiu, YH. Occurrence and distribution of phthalate esters and pharmaceuticals in Taiwan river sediments. J Soils Sediments 15, 198–210 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-1003-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-1003-4

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