Nonylphenol is an
endocrine disruptor with harmful effects including
feminization and
carcinogenesis on various organisms. This study aims to investigate the distribution and ecological risks of
nonylphenol in the Daliao River Estuary, China.
Nonylphenol, together with other phenolic
endocrine disruptors (bisphenol A, 4-t-butylphenol, 4-t-octylphenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol), was detected in surface water and sediment on three cruises in May 2009, June 2010, and August 2010, respectively. A large flooding occurred during our sampling campaign in August and its effect on
nonylphenol concentrations and fluxes in the estuary was therefore evaluated. The results showed that
nonylphenol with a concentration range between 83.6-777 ng l(-1) and 1.5-456 ng g(-1) dw in surface water and sediment was the most abundant among the phenolic compounds, accounting for 59.1-81.0 and 79.9-92.1 % of the total phenolic concentration in surface water and sediment, respectively. The concentrations recorded in May and June were comparable, whereas those in August were considerably higher, mainly due to the flush of flooding. The flooding also caused a 50 times increase in
nonylphenol flux from the estuary into the adjacent Bohai Sea.
Nonylphenol concentrations in the estuary have exceeded the threshold level of undesirable effects with a potential risk of harm to local species, especially benthic organisms.