Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate in Urban River Sediments

Abstract

This study investigated the spatial distribution of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and its potential biological effects, in the surface sediments that were collected from 10 sites at the Love River during dry and wet seasons. The grain size and organic matter were measured to understand the key factors that affect the distribution of DEHP concentrations in the sediments of Love River. The mean DEHP concentrations in the sediments that were collected during the wet and dry seasons were 28.6 ± 19.5 and 17.8 ± 11.6 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. The highest DEHP concentration was observed in the sediments that were sampled in the vicinity of the estuary. The correlation analysis showed that the grain size and organic matter may play a key role in the DEHP distribution in the sediments during the dry season, whereas the DEHP concentrations in the wet season may be mainly affected by other environmental and hydrological conditions. By a comparison with the sediment quality guidelines, the levels of DEHP in the sediments of Love River were found to have the potential to result in an adverse effect on aquatic benthic organisms. Specifically, during the wet season, wastewater from upstream of Love River is flushed downstream, causing a higher DEHP concentration in the sediments. Future pollution prevention and management objectives should move towards reducing the discharge of upstream wastewater and establishing a complete sewer system to reduce DEHP pollution in the environment.

Quantification, distribution, and effects of di (2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate contamination: Risk analysis and mitigation strategies in urban environment

“…These concentrations recovered may be due to the accumulation of DEHP in the wet season when the untreated municipal wastewater is flooded or due to the non‐point source or seepage of DEHP from adjacent landfill leachate. The listed reasons parallel with those discussed in recent literature (Chen et al, 2018). It may be anticipated that DEHP in surface and lake water in the catchment area would accumulate in the biota resulting in bio‐magnification, disrupting the food chain, and environmental health (Zhang et al, 2018).…”

Characterization of Di-n-Butyl Phthalate Phytoremediation by Garden Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia) through Kinetics and Proteome Analysis

“…The global production of PAEs was approximately 1.8 million tons in 1975, 6.2 million tons in 2009 and increased to more than 8 million tons in 2015 [7][8][9][10]. Due to its higher production and application figures, PAEs are widely distributed in various environmental samples such as the air [11], freshwater [12,13], sediment [14,15] and soil [5,[16][17][18]. Several studies have reported that PAEs can cause negative health effects in animals [19,20] and humans [21][22][23].…”

Impacts of Endocrine Disruptor di-n-Butyl Phthalate Ester on Microalga Chlorella vulgaris Verified by Approaches of Proteomics and Gene Ontology

“…As plasticizers, PAEs are characterized by their low water solubility and high octanol/water partition coefficients, but they are not covalently bound to plastics [ 19 ]. Due to their physicochemical properties and wide applications, PAEs are widely distributed in various environmental samples, such as groundwater [ 20 ], surface water [ 21 ], sediment [ 22 ], and soil [ 23 ]. Meanwhile, some PAEs are also semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) and can be present as indoor pollutants and easily leach into the air, car, air conditioner and household dust [ 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”