RT journal article
T1 Distribution, mass inventories, and ecological risk assessment of legacy and emerging contaminants in sediments from the Pearl River Estuary in China
A1 Pintado Herrera, Marina Guadalupe
A1 Wang, Cuicui
A1 Lu, Jungtai
A1 Chang, Yuan-Pin
A1 Chen, Weifang
A1 Li, Xiaolin
A1 Lara Martín, Pablo Antonio
A2 Química Física
K1 Emerging contaminants
K1 Environmental risk assessment
K1 Pesticides;
K1 Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
K1 Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
K1 Sediments
AB This study focused on comparing the occurrences and environmental toxic risks for diverse priority and emerging contaminants (>100 chemicals) in the sediments from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE, China). The most predominant compounds were cationic surfactants, organophosphate flame retardants (e.g., triisobutylphosphate), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), accounting for >75% of the total mass inventory (∼330 metric tons). Wastewater discharges seem to be one of the main sources of pollution in the area, as the highest concentrations (>1000 ng g−1 for some chemicals) were reported in the upper part of the PRE (near Guangzhou city) and Macau. Highest levels of ultraviolet (UV) filters, however, were observed in recreational areas, revealing the importance of direct sources (e.g., outdoor activities). An environmental risk assessment showed that PAHs and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethylene had the highest hazard quotient (HQ) values (up to 233). Nonylphenol, a metabolite from nonionic surfactant, and two UV filters (2-ethyl-hexyl-4-trimethoxycinnamate and 4-methylbenzylidene camphor) also posed a significant threat to benthic species (HQ > 1). Further research through the realization of monitoring campaigns and toxicity tests is encouraged, as the exposure of the resident aquatic organisms and human population to these and other emerging chemicals is expected to increase over the years.
PB ELSEVIER
SN 0304-3894
YR 2017
FD 2017-02
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/30314
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/30314
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 11-nov-2026