Distribution and ecological risk assessment of PEDCs in the water, sediment and Carex cinerascens of Poyang Lake wetland, China

Pinghua Yang

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-47864-4

Abstract

Phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (PEDCs), such as 4-nonylphenol (NP), 4-t-octylphenol (OP), bisphenol A (BPA), and nonylphenol-di-ethoxylate (NP2EO), can cause feminization and carcinogenesis. This study assessed the distributions of NP, OP, BPA, and NP2EO in the water, sediment, and Carex cinerascens of Poyang Lake wetland. The four PEDCs were ubiquitous. The concentrations of NP and OP in the water and sediment of the wetland were significantly lower than those in other regions of China. Average BPA concentrations in the water, sediment, and Carex cinerascens samples were 40.49 ± 18.42 ng/L, 9.840 ± 3.149 ng/g, and 3.25 ± 1.40 ng/g, respectively; the BPA concentration in the water was similar to that of other rivers in China. Average NP2EO concentrations in the wetland were 3125.9 ± 478.1 ng/L, 650.0 ± 209.9 ng/g, and 275.8 ± 59.0 ng/g in the water, sediment, and Carex cinerascens samples, respectively. The predicted no-effect concentrations in sediment for NP, OP, BPA, and NP2EO were estimated to be 75.41, 45.25, 8.22, and 237.5 ng/g, respectively. The risk quotient (RQ) method was used to characterise the ecological risk from these PEDCs. A high ecological risk (RQ ≥ 1) from BPA was observed for 0%, 57.69%, and 5.00% of water, sediment, and C. cinerascens samples, respectively, while a high risk from NP2EO was observed for 71.43%, 96.15%, and 55.00% of samples. Ecological risk varied spatially. The high ecological risk from NP2EO in Poyang Lake wetland may be a result of non-point pollution from rural areas and sewage from Poyang Lake basin.

Highlights

Phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (PEDCs) are phenolic substances derived mainly from non-ionic surfactants that are widely used in industrial and household products such as detergents, emulsifiers, solubilisers, and dispersing agents[1,2,3,4]
The generic framework and guidelines of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) propose the following process for ecological risk assessments: (1) derive the predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC), and (2) calculate the risk quotient (RQ), which is the ratio of the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) to the PNEC24
In the technical guidelines for risk assessments formulated by the European Commission, the allocation balance formula can be used to calculate the predicted no-effect concentration in sediment (PNECsediment)[25]

Summary

Introduction

Phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (PEDCs) are phenolic substances derived mainly from non-ionic surfactants that are widely used in industrial and household products such as detergents, emulsifiers, solubilisers, and dispersing agents[1,2,3,4]. The PNEC values for nonylphenol were derived using SSD models and these were used to assess its ecological risk in the coastal waters of China[27]. The PNEC for BPA was derived from both acute and chronic toxicity endpoints using the SSD model and was used to assess the ecological risk from BPA in surface waters of China[28]. Both maximum and continuous concentration criteria were derived for nonylphenol and used to assess its ecological risk to aquatic life in Chinese surface freshwater[29]

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Conclusion