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Seasonal variation of nonylphenol concentrations and fluxes with influence of flooding in the Daliao River Estuary, China

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Abstract

Nonylphenol is an endocrine disruptor with harmful effects including feminization and carcinogenesis on various organisms. This study aims to investigate the distribution and ecological risks of nonylphenol in the Daliao River Estuary, China. Nonylphenol, together with other phenolic endocrine disruptors (bisphenol A, 4-t-butylphenol, 4-t-octylphenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol), was detected in surface water and sediment on three cruises in May 2009, June 2010, and August 2010, respectively. A large flooding occurred during our sampling campaign in August and its effect on nonylphenol concentrations and fluxes in the estuary was therefore evaluated. The results showed that nonylphenol with a concentration range between 83.6–777 ng l−1 and 1.5–456 ng g−1 dw in surface water and sediment was the most abundant among the phenolic compounds, accounting for 59.1–81.0 and 79.9–92.1 % of the total phenolic concentration in surface water and sediment, respectively. The concentrations recorded in May and June were comparable, whereas those in August were considerably higher, mainly due to the flush of flooding. The flooding also caused a 50 times increase in nonylphenol flux from the estuary into the adjacent Bohai Sea. Nonylphenol concentrations in the estuary have exceeded the threshold level of undesirable effects with a potential risk of harm to local species, especially benthic organisms.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the National Science and Technology Foundation (no. 2009ZX07528-006-03) and Ocean Public Service Foundation of China (no. 201005012-2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, 238 Songling Road, Qingdao, 266100, People ’s Republic of China

    Zhengyan Li, Chang Liu & Hong Hu

  2. Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science, Dalhousie University, Sexton Campus, 1360 Barrington St., PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3J 2X4, Canada

    Zhengyan Li & Mark Gibson

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  1. Zhengyan Li
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Correspondence to Zhengyan Li.

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Li, Z., Gibson, M., Liu, C. et al. Seasonal variation of nonylphenol concentrations and fluxes with influence of flooding in the Daliao River Estuary, China. Environ Monit Assess 185, 5221–5230 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2938-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2938-9

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