Pollution characteristics, spatial variation, and potential risks of phthalate esters in the water–sediment system of the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent East China Sea

Ze Ming Zhang, Jing Zhang, Hong Hai Zhang, Xi Zhi Shi, Ya Wen Zou, Gui Peng Yang*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

101 Scopus citations

Abstract

Spatiotemporal variability in seawater, spatial variation in sediment, pollution characteristics, and risks related to 16 phthalate esters (PAEs) were investigated in the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent East China Sea. The total concentrations of ΣPAEs in surface water were 0.588–17.7 μg L−1 in summer, 2.63–22.9 μg L−1 in winter, and 1.93–20.7 μg L−1 in spring, with average values of 2.05, 10.2, and 4.89 μg L−1, respectively. PAE concentrations exhibited notable seasonal variations with the highest value in winter and the lowest value in summer. The seasonal variation in PAE concentrations may be influenced by runoff and diluted water from the Yangtze River. The chemical composition of PAEs showed that di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) had significantly higher (p < 0.05) concentrations than the other congeners and were the most abundant PAE species in sediment and seawater in all three seasons. In addition, DnBP and DiBP were the two main congeners in seawater, and DEHP concentrations were higher in sediment than in seawater. DEHP had higher potential risks to sensitive organisms in water environment than DnBP and DiBP, and DiBP and DnBP which presented high levels of risk in sedimentary environment. DMP and DEP in watery and sedimentary environments and DEHP in sedimentary environment showed no or low risks to sensitive organisms.

Original languageEnglish
Article number114913
JournalEnvironmental Pollution
Volume265
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • PAEs
  • Risk evaluation
  • Seasonal and spatial variations
  • Yangtze river estuary

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