Determination of 4-Nonylphenol in Surface Waters of the Guandu River Basin by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet Detection

Frederico De Araujo,Glauco Bauerfeldt,Yara Cid

doi:10.21577/0103-5053.20180079

Frederico De Araujo, Glauco Bauerfeldt + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.21577/0103-5053.20180079

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Abstract

4-Nonylphenol, a degradation product of ethoxylated alkylphenols, due to its harmful effects on the environment, has been banned in European Union countries, alongside their precursors. The guide on quality of drinking water from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) recommends a maximum concentration of 28 µg L-1 for fresh water. In Brazil, there is no clear legislation containing values of maximum concentration of 4-nonylphenol. Due to this lack of regulation, a continuous monitoring is necessary for this pollutant in environmental samples. The occurrence of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) in the surface waters of Guandu River in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was studied by using solid-phase extraction and reversed phase liquid chromatography separation with UV detection. The analytical method satisfies these requirements, being able to detect and quantify 4-NP in a desired concentration range. Of the 19 samples analyzed, 4-nonylphenol was detected in 12, quantified in 2, showing concentration levels of 1.73 and 2.32 µg L-1 in Santa Cruz and Paracambi, respectively. This is the main hydrographic basin in the state of Rio de Janeiro, where water is collected for treatment and later distributed to most cities in the metropolitan region, including Rio de Janeiro City, and these results are therefore alarming.

Highlights

Environmental pollution resulting from the release of organic compounds poses a serious threat to human health and aquatic organisms due to acute and chronic toxicity.[1,2,3] Such pollutants are emitted from a variety of sources, which includes agricultural, industrial and urban activities.Regarding the agricultural activity, pesticides are harmful due to their long persistence in aquatic soils and sediments, bioaccumulation in the tissues of invertebrates and vertebrates, and movement in the trophic chains.[4]
Surfactants are usually present in agrochemical formulations[5,6] and are directly released in a sewage system or in surface water causing pollution and forming degradation products.[7]
The most relevant Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO) is nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPnEO), representing approximately 80% of production, of which 60% has the environment as a final destination.[8,9,10]

Summary

Introduction

Environmental pollution resulting from the release of organic compounds poses a serious threat to human health and aquatic organisms due to acute and chronic toxicity.[1,2,3] Such pollutants are emitted from a variety of sources, which includes agricultural, industrial and urban activities. Pesticides are harmful due to their long persistence in aquatic soils and sediments, bioaccumulation in the tissues of invertebrates and vertebrates, and movement in the trophic chains.[4] Surfactants are usually present in agrochemical formulations[5,6] and are directly released in a sewage system or in surface water causing pollution and forming degradation products.[7]. The most relevant APEO is nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPnEO), representing approximately 80% of production, of which 60% has the environment as a final destination.[8,9,10]

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Results