Spatial distribution of three endocrine disrupting chemicals in sediments of the Suzhou Creek and their environmental risks

Three environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals(EDCs),named nonylphenol(NP),octylphenol(4-t-OP) and bisphenol A(BPA),in sediments of the Suzhou Creek and its branches were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) method.The results showed that the concentration of three chemicals varied greatly from site to site,which ranged from1.0-5 800,0.10-39 and 0.90-180 μg·kg-1,respectively.In general,the accumulation of pollutants in sediments closely related to the intensity of anthropogenic activities: the concentration of three chemicals in sediments of municipal section of the creek are significantly higher than those in the sections of suburb of Shanghai city and Jiangsu province;the chemical concentrations in sediments of branches are significantly higher than those of the main stream of the creek.Significant correlations between each two of the three chemicals in sediments were observed,implying their similar source provenance.Taking nonylphenol as an example,the environmental risks of the EDCs in sediments were assessed.The result indicated that this chemical in the entire creek except the Wujiagang Bridge point had posed potential toxic risks to ecological system.Therefore,more countermeasures should be taken to prevent EDCs from entering the creek.