Alkylphenol ethoxylates in the environment

Abstract

A comprehensive monitoring study, sponsored by the Chemical Manufacturers Association and designed in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), measured the levels of nonylphenol (NP) and its ethoxylates (NPE) in 30 rivers. The sites, all receiving municipal or industrial wastewater, were selected at random from EPA’s United States river reach database by a statistical procedure. Water column and bottom sediment samples were collected along a perpendicular transect at each site. All samples were assayed for NP and NPE1, and the higher ethoxylates (NPE2 to NPE17) were determined in the water samples. Analysis was by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection of microgram quantities of NPE obtained by extractive steam distillation (NP and NPE1) or a dualcolumn extraction procedure (NPE2 to NPE17). Sample collection and analytical procedures were validated according to rigorous EPA guidelines, and quality assurance standards were met throughout the study. NP and NPE concentrations in river water were mostly (60 to 75% of the samples) below their detection limits (about 0.1 ppb for NP, NPE1, and NPE2; 1.6 ppb for NPE3–17). The highest levels found were about 1 ppb for NP, NPE1, and NPE2, 15 ppb for NPE3–17. A majority of sediment samples contained detectable amounts of NP and NPE1, ranging up to 3000 ppb for NP and 170 ppb for NPE1. Sediment interstitial water concentrations of NP were estimated to be similar to concentrations in the water column.

Sequential ASE extraction of alkylphenols from sediments: Occurrence and environmental implications

“…Compared with the other aquatic surface sediments (Fig. 3), the concentrations of total APs in this study are generally higher than most of those reported for other areas of the world, and lower than those of the two samples in the Hamilton Harbor site, Canada [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45]. High concentrations of APs were reported for other highly industrialized and urbanized areas, such as Hamilton Harbor of the Great Lakes (up to 72,000 ng/g dw of NP and 1800 ng/g dw of OP) [38], Virginia (USA) sediments adjacent to STPs and outfall (up to 14,100 ng/g dw) [23], and Jamaica Bay (NY, USA)(up to 13,700 ng/g dw of NP and 45 ng/g dw of OP) [25].…”

Occurrence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in riverine sediments from the Pearl River Delta, China

“…They may also pose a potential environmental threat to aquatic organisms. Owing to the importance of sediments on the transport, fate and bioavailability of EDCs, investigations on the sediment contamination of EDCs have been widely carried out (Naylor et al, 1992;Hale et al, 2000;Isobe et al, 2001;Heemken et al, 2001;López de Alda et al, 2002;Jonkers et al, 2003;Rice et al, 2003;Li et al, 2004a,b;Patrolecco et al, 2004;Chen et al, 2006;Fu et al, 2007;Labadie et al, 2007), and phenolic xenoestrogens with high levels were reported worldwide. For example, the sedimentary concentrations of nonylphenol and octylphenol were up to 72,000 ng/g and 1800 ng/ g dw, respectively, from Hamilton Harbor of the Great Lakes, Canada, which was highly impacted by anthropogenic activities (Bennie et al, 1997).…”

Possible enhancing effects of atrazine and nonylphenol on 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene‐induced mammary tumor development in human c‐Ha‐ras proto‐oncogene transgenic rats

“…Alkylphenol polyethoxylates with 8-12 ethoxylate groups are commonly used, with nonylphenol polyethoxylates accounting for about 80% of the total. It has been estimated that 60% of alkylphenol polyethoxylates end up in the aquatic environment, 21) most entering via sewage treatment works, where they are readily degraded to form relatively stable metabolites. 22,23) Some of these metabolites are hydrophobic (e.g.…”