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Distribution of Particulate Nonylphenol in Lake Biwa, Japan

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Abstract

The distribution and geochemical behavior of nonylphenol (NP) in suspended and settling particles were studied in Lake Biwa, Japan. The vertical distribution of the particulate nonylphenol (PNP)/particulate organic carbon (POC) ratio showed a characteristic and hitherto unreported profile. The ratio was low at the surface, increased with depth to the middle layer before reaching a maximum at a depth of 45 or 65 m, and decreased toward the bottom. This profile is thought to have been due to the particulate organic matter (POM) in the lake being either freshly produced or aged POM and because the aged POM has a relatively higher affinity for NP compared to freshly produced POM. This idea was supported by the statistical analysis of physicochemical data (PNP, POC and chlorophyll a) and because the average PNP/POC ratio in the aged POM (2.24 × 10−5 g/g) was approximately four times higher than that of the freshly produced POM (0.63 × 10−5 g/g). The settling flux was estimated to be 2.2–6.4 μg/m2/day.

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Acknowledgements

This study was partly supported by grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (12480150 and 15651028) and from Nippon Life Insurance Foundation. The authors thank Mr. T. Koitabashi and Mr. T. Miyano from the Center for Ecological Research at Kyoto University for their cooperation with the collection of samples in Lake Biwa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

    Masahito Sugiyama

  2. Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

    Hiroo Yoshida, Shunsuke Kudari & Toshitaka Hori

  3. Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

    Masahito Sugiyama

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  1. Hiroo Yoshida
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  2. Shunsuke Kudari
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  3. Toshitaka Hori
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  4. Masahito Sugiyama
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Correspondence to Masahito Sugiyama.

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Yoshida, H., Kudari, S., Hori, T. et al. Distribution of Particulate Nonylphenol in Lake Biwa, Japan. Water Air Soil Pollut 200, 267–276 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-008-9910-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-008-9910-x

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