Abstract
This paper reports the reconstruction of the pollution history of 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) in the Baltic Sea. Alkylphenols are endocrine-disrupting compound and therefore toxic to aquatic organisms. Sediment cores were collected from regions with relatively stable sedimentation conditions. The cores were dated by the 210Pb method. The OP and NP were determined using HPLC-FL. The highest inventory of these compounds was observed in the Gotland Deep (610 μg m2 of NP and 47 μg m2 of OP) and the lowest—on the slope of the Gdansk Deep (24 μg m2 of NP and 16 μg m2 of OP). Such spatial distribution was probably, among other factors, the result of the uplift of the sea floor. The pollution trends of OP and NP in sediments coincided with the following: (1) the beginnings of eutrophication (1960s/1970s of the twentieth century) and (2) strong increase in the areal extent and volume of hypoxia and anoxia in the Baltic (present century).Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-016-6262-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Since the 1980s of the last century, 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) have been of environmental concern because of their toxicity for aquatic organisms (McLeese et al 1981; Comber et al 1993), estrogenic properties (Soto et al 1991; Jobling and Sumpter 1993; Jobling et al 1996) and widespread contamination
We examined sediment age and concentration of alkylphenols in sediment cores from deepwater areas of the Baltic Sea
The levels measured in the area of the Gotland Deep exceeded the predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) value adopted by HELCOM (2010), which amounts to 180 ng g−1 dw
Summary
Since the 1980s of the last century, 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) have been of environmental concern because of their toxicity for aquatic organisms (McLeese et al 1981; Comber et al 1993), estrogenic properties (Soto et al 1991; Jobling and Sumpter 1993; Jobling et al 1996) and widespread contamination. NP and OP belong to the broader group of compounds known as alkylphenols. They have been used for decades (Fiege et al 2000) and the list of their applications is very long (COHIBA 2011a, b; OSPAR 2009; HELCOM 2009; 2010). The NP is mainly used for the synthesis of alkylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). This compound belongs to the world’s third largest group of surfactants with various industrial, institutional and household applications. The OP is used in the synthesis of alkylphenol ethoxylates (OPEs). The OP, NP, and their ethoxylates are used in the following: textile industry, production of plastics, water-based
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