Phthalate esters in sediments from Guanting Reservoir and the Yongding River, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

摘要

A study was conducted to determine the levels and distribution of phthalate esters (PAEs) residues in sediments collected from Guanting reservoir and the Yongding River, Fujian, China. Sediment samples were collected during October 2003 in the Guanting Reservoir and during November 2003 in the Yongding River. Blank and recovery experiments were run for sediment. For recovery experiments, PAE mixture in iso-octane was added to the PAE-free matrix. The method detection limits (MDLs) of 16 PAEs were determined as the concentrations of analytes in a blank sample that gives rise to a peak with a single-to-noise ratio of 3. For this study, the focus will be only on 8 PAEs, viz., dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), bis(2-ethoxyethyl) phthalate (BEEP), hexyl 2-ethylhexyl phthalate (HEHP) and dihexyl phthalate (DHP). Among the 8 PAEs, DMP, DEP, DiBP, DnBP and DEHP were detected in all sampling sites. DMP and DEP occurred in lower concentrations. The predominate phthalates among the 8 PAEs were DEHP, DiBP and DnBP in all sampling sites. The contribution of DEHP to total PAEs was higher than that of the other PAE congeners in most sediment samples. Results indicate that the sediment quality standards correspond to a sediment quality that will result in no adverse effects, including no acute or chronic adverse effects on biological resources and no significant health risks to humans..