Abstract
The seasonal variations and spatial distributions of 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), 4-nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA) in surface waters, suspended solids and surface sediments in the Huangpu River and its tributaries (Suzhou River and Yunzao Brook) were firstly investigated. The mean concentrations of OP, NP and BPA in the three rivers were 10.59, 120.96 and 22.93 ng L−1 in surface waters, 199.87, 2,300.87 and 84.11 ng g−1 in suspended solids and 9.49, 119.44 and 7.13 ng g−1 dry weight in surface sediments, respectively. The concentrations of NP and OP were higher in summer than in winter in the suspended solids and surface sediments, while the reverse was true in surface waters. Similarly, the levels of BPA were lower in summer than in winter in surface sediments, while the opposite was true in surface waters and suspended solids. These seasonal variations might be attributed to temperature and stream flows. High levels of OP, NP and BPA were found in surrounding river intersections, residential and industrial areas. Their concentrations decreased gradually with increasing distance from those areas, while the lowest levels were measured in near less urbanized and agricultural areas. These phenomena might indicate that the stream current and pollutant source were the major factors that affect the spatial distributions of OP, NP and BPA in the three rivers. Ecological risk assessment indicated that NP was the only one of the three pollutants with the potential to influence local aquatic organisms. The results of this study provide scientific support for control of these pollutants.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ademollo, N., Ferrara, F., Delise, M., Fabietti, F., & Funari, E. (2008). Nonylphenol and octylphenol in human breast milk. Environment International, 34, 984–987.
An, Q., Wu, Y. Q., Wang, J. H., & Li, Z. E. (2009). Heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments of the Yangtze river estuary, China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 59, 363–370.
Bao, J., Liu, W., Liu, L., Jin, Y. H., Ran, X. R., & Zhang, Z. X. (2010). Perfluorinated compounds in urban river sediments from Guangzhou and Shanghai of China. Chemosphere, 80, 123–130.
Brain, R. A., Sanderson, H., Sibley, P. K., & Solomon, K. R. (2006). Probabilistic ecological hazard assessment: evaluating pharmaceutical effects on aquatic higher plants as an example. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 64, 128–135.
Brix, R., Postigo, C., Gonzalez, S., Villagrasa, M., Navarro, A., Kuster, M., et al. (2010). Analysis and occurrence of alkylphenolic compounds and estrogens in a European river basin and an evaluation of their importance as priority pollutants. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 396, 1301–1309.
Chen, B., Duan, J. C., Mai, B. X., Luo, X. J., Yang, Q. S., Sheng, G. Y., et al. (2006). Distribution of alkylphenols in the Pearl River Delta and adjacent northern South China Sea, China. Chemosphere, 63, 652–661.
Chen, T. C., Shue, M. F., Yeh, Y. L., & Kao, T. J. (2010). Bisphenol A occurred in Kao-Pin River and its tributaries in Taiwan. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 161, 135–145.
Coulier, L., Bradley, E. L., Bas, R. C., Verhoeckx, K. C. M., Driffield, M., Harmer, N., et al. (2010). Analysis of reaction products of food contaminants and ingredients: bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) in canned foods. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58, 4873–4882.
Fries, E., & Puttmann, W. (2003). Occurrence and behaviour of 4-nonylphenol in river water of Germany. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 5, 598–603.
Fu, M. Z., Li, Z. Y., & Gao, H. W. (2007). Distribution characteristics of nonylphenol in Jiaozhou Bay of Qingdao and its adjacent rivers. Chemosphere, 69, 1009–1016.
Furuichi, T., Kannan, K., Glesy, J. P., & Masunaga, S. (2004). Contribution of known endocrine disrupting substances to the estrogenic activity in Tama River water samples from Japan using instrumental analysis and in vitro reporter gene assay. Water Research, 38, 4491–4501.
Gadzala-Kopciuch, R., Filipiak, A., & Buszewski, B. (2008). Isolation, purification and determination of 4-n-nonylphenol and 4-tert-octylphenol in aqueous and biological samples. Talanta, 74, 655–660.
Imaoka, T., Hayashi, K., Ueda, T., & Yoshimura, T. (2006). Investigation of the source and the path of bisphenol-A discharged from a housing development through domestic wastewater. Journal of Environmental Systems Engineering, 62, 332–339.
Jin, X. L., Jiang, G. B., Huang, G. L., Liu, J. F., & Zhou, Q. F. (2004). Determination of 4-tert-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol and bisphenol A in surface waters from the Haihe River in Tianjin by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring. Chemosphere, 56, 1113–1119.
Källqvist, T. (2005). Environmental risk assessment of artificial turf systems. Norwegian Institute for Water Research.
Kawaguchi, M., Inoue, K., Yoshimura, M., Ito, R., Sakui, N., & Nakazawa, H. (2004). Determination of 4-nonylphenol and 4-tert-octylphenol in water samples by stir bar sorptive extraction and thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Analytica Chimica Acta, 505, 217–222.
Kawaguchi, M., Sakui, N., Okanouchi, N., Ito, R., Saito, K., & Nakazawa, H. (2005). Stir bar sorptive extraction and trace analysis of alkylphenols in water samples by thermal desorption with in tube silylation and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A, 1062, 23–29.
Kawahata, H., Ohta, H., Inoue, M., & Suzuki, A. (2004). Endocrine disrupter nonylphenol and bisphenol A contamination in Okinawa and Ishigaki Islands, Japan—within coral reefs and adjacent river mouths. Chemosphere, 55, 1519–1527.
Kitada, Y., Kawahata, H., Suzuki, A., & Oomori, T. (2008). Distribution of pesticides and bisphenol A in sediments collected from rivers adjacent to coral reefs. Chemosphere, 71, 2082–2090.
Lemly, A. D. (1996). Evaluation of the hazard quotient method for risk assessment of selenium. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 35, 156–162.
Li, D. H., Kim, M., Oh, J. R., & Park, J. (2004a). Distribution characteristics of nonylphenols in the artificial Lake Shihwa, and surrounding creeks in Korea. Chemosphere, 56, 783–790.
Li, D. H., Kim, M., Shim, W. J., Yim, U. H., Oh, J. R., & Kwon, Y. J. (2004b). Seasonal flux of nonylphenol in Han River, Korea. Chemosphere, 56, 1–6.
Li, D. H., Dong, M. H., Shim, W. J., Hong, S. H., Oh, J. R., Yim, U. H., et al. (2005). Seasonal and spatial distribution of nonylphenol and IBP in Saemangeum Bay, Korea. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 51, 966–974.
Li, D. H., Shim, W. J., Dong, M. H., & Oh, S. H. H. (2007). Application of nonylphenol and coprostanol to identification of industrial and fecal pollution in Korea. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 54, 101–107.
Li, X., Ying, G. G., Su, H. C., Yang, X. B., & Wang, L. (2010). Simultaneous determination and assessment of 4-nonylphenol, bisphenol A and triclosan in tap water, bottled water and baby bottles. Environment International, 36, 557–562.
Liu, Y., Chen, L., Zhao, J. F., Huang, Q. H., Zhu, Z. L., & Gao, H. W. (2008). Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of rivers and an estuary in Shanghai, China. Environmental Pollution, 154, 298–305.
Luo, S. S., Fang, L., Wang, X. W., Liu, H. T., Ouyang, G. F., Lan, C. Y., et al. (2010). Determination of octylphenol and nonylphenol in aqueous sample using simultaneous derivatization and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A, 1217, 6762–6768.
Manzano, M. A., Perales, J. A., Sales, D., & Quiroga, J. M. (1999). The effect of temperature on the biodegradation of a nonylphenol polyethoxylate in river water. Water Research, 33, 2593–2600.
Mendiola, J., Jorgensen, N., Andersson, A. M., Calafat, A. M., Redmon, J. B., Drobnis, E. Z., et al. (2010a). Are environmental levels of bisphenol A associated with reproductive function in fertile men? Human Reproduction, 25, I121–I121.
Mendiola, J., Jorgensen, N., Andersson, A. M., Calafat, A. M., Ye, X. Y., Redmon, J. B., et al. (2010b). Are environmental levels of bisphenol A associated with reproductive function in fertile men? Environmental Health Perspectives, 118, 1286–1291.
Motegi, M., Nojiri, K., Hosono, S., & Kawamura, K. (2007a). Mass balance study of in nonylphenol ethoxylates and their metabolites in an urban river contaminated by nonylphenol. Environmental Sciences, 14, 009–021.
Motegi, M., Nojiri, K., Hosono, S., & Kawamura, K. (2007b). Seasonal changes in nonylphenol ethoxylates and their metabolites in water and sediment of urban river polluted by nonylphenol. Environmental Sciences, 14, 109–128.
Patrolecco, L., Capri, S., De Angelis, S., Pagnotta, R., Polesello, S., & Valsecchi, S. (2006). Partition of nonylphenol and related compounds among different aquatic compartments in Tiber River (Central Italy). Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 172, 151–166.
Peng, X. Z., Wang, Z. D., Mai, B. X., Chen, F. R., Chen, S. J., Tan, J. H., et al. (2007). Temporal trends of nonylphenol and bisphenol A contamination in the Pearl River Estuary and the adjacent South China Sea recorded by dated sedimentary cores. Science of the Total Environment, 384, 393–400.
Sahambi, S. K., Pelland, A., Cooke, G. M., Schrader, T., Tardif, R., Charbonneau, M., et al. (2010). Oral p-tert-octylphenol exposures induce minimal toxic or estrogenic effects in adult female Sprague–Dawley rats. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A: Current Issues, 73, 607–622.
Solomon, K., Giesy, J., & Jones, P. (2000). Probabilistic risk assessment of agrochemicals in the environment. Crop Protection, 19, 649–655.
Spehar, R. L., Brooke, L. T., Markee, T. P., & Kahl, M. D. (2010). Comparative toxicity and bioconcentration of nonylphenol in freshwater organisms. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 29, 2104–2111.
Stachel, B., Ehrhorn, U., Heemken, O. P., Lepom, P., Reincke, H., Sawal, G., et al. (2003). Xenoestrogens in the River Elbe and its tributaries. Environmental Pollution, 124, 497–507.
Stanford, B. D., Amoozegar, A., & Weinberg, H. S. (2010). The impact of co-contaminants and septic system effluent quality on the transport of estrogens and nonylphenols through soil. Water Research, 44, 1598–1606.
Staples, C. A., Dorn, P. B., Klecka, G. M., O’Block, S. T., Branson, D. R., & Harris, L. R. (2000). Bisphenol A concentrations in receiving waters near US manufacturing and processing facilities. Chemosphere, 40, 521–525.
Wan, Y., Choi, K., Kim, S., Ji, K., Chang, H., Wiseman, S., et al. (2010). Hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers and bisphenol A in pregnant women and their matching fetuses: placental transfer and potential risks. Environmental Science & Technology, 44, 5233–5239.
Wang, L., & Schnute, W. C. (2010). Bisphenol A, octylphenols and nonylphenol in drinking water. Lc Gc Europe, 7–7.
Wenzel, A., Bohmer, W., Muller, J., Rudel, H., & Schroter-Kermani, C. (2004). Retrospective monitoring of alkylphenols and alkylphenol monoethoxylates in aquatic biota from 1985 to 2001: results from the German Environmental Specimen Bank. Environmental Science & Technology, 38, 1654–1661.
Xu, J., Wang, P., Guo, W. F., Dong, J. X., Wang, L., & Dai, S. G. (2006). Seasonal and spatial distribution of nonylphenol in Lanzhou Reach of Yellow River in China. Chemosphere, 65, 1445–1451.
Zhang, H. (2007). The orientation of water quality variation from the metropolis river—Huangpu River, Shanghai. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 127, 429–434.
Zoller, U. (2006). Estuarine and coastal zone marine pollution by the nonionic alkylphenol ethoxylates endocrine disrupters: is there a potential ecotoxicological problem? Environment International, 32, 269–272.
Acknowledgments
This work has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 11025526,40973073, 40830744, 11175112 and 41073073), National Key Technology R&D Program in the 11th Five-Year Plan of China (no. 2009BAA24B04).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wu, M., Wang, L., Xu, G. et al. Seasonal and spatial distribution of 4-tert-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol and bisphenol A in the Huangpu River and its tributaries, Shanghai, China. Environ Monit Assess 185, 3149–3161 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2779-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2779-6