Occurrence and partitioning of bisphenol analogues, triclocarban, and triclosan in seawater and sediment from East China Sea

• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132218
• Publication Date: 2021-09-08T12:28:26Z
• Authors: Jiahui Xie; Nan Zhao; Yingying Zhang; Hongmei Hu; Meirong Zhao; Hangbiao Jin
• Keywords: China; Phenols; 13. Climate action; Seawater; 14. Life underwater; Benzhydryl Compounds; 01 natural sciences; Carbanilides; Triclosan; 6. Clean water; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Bisphenol analogues (BPs), triclocarban (TCC), and triclosan (TCS) are well-known environmental endocrine disrupters. Many studies have characterized their occurrence in the freshwater environment. However, their environmental behaviors in the coastal marine environment remain poorly understood. Here, matched seawater and sediment samples were collected from East China Sea, and analyzed for 13 BPs (including halogenated derivatives of bisphenol A), TCC, and TCS. Bisphenol A (BPA; mean 23 ng/L) was the predominant BP in seawaters, followed by tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA; 2.3 ng/L) and bisphenol S (BPS; 2.2 ng/L). Seawater concentrations of TCS (<LOD-8.7 ng/L) were much higher (p < 0.01) than that of TCC (<LOD-0.33 ng/L). In sediments BPA was still the major BP (mean 13 ng/g dw, dry weight), followed by bisphenol F (1.6 ng/g dw) and BPS (0.69 ng/g dw). All sediment samples contained measurable TCC (0.12-6.6 ng/g dw), while TCS was occasionally detected. For the first time, this study reports the environmental occurrence of bisphenol M and 4,4'-sulfonylbis (2-aminophenol) (a first discovered BPS analogue) in seawaters and sediments. Spatially, inshore seawater and sediment samples contained higher (p < 0.01) BPA and BPS concentrations, compared with offshore samples. The mean log-transformed sediment-seawater partitioning coefficients (log Koc) ranged from 2.3 (TBBPA) to 4.0 (TCC). The log Koc values of BPA, BPS, and BPAF were lower than those previously reported in the freshwater environment. Overall, this study provides first data on the spatial distribution patterns and partitioning behaviors of BPs, TCC, and TCS in marine environment.