Occurrence, ecology and health risk assessment of organophosphate triesters and diesters in surface and ground water from southwest of China

Abstract

The occurrence of organophosphate triesters (OPEs) and organophosphate diesters (m-OPEs) in ground water is still unclear. To fill the blank, ground water samples in dry and wet seasons, surface river water and paired sediment samples were collected in Sichuan province and analyzed for 14 kinds of OPEs and 7 m-OPEs. Except Trimethyl phosphate was scarcely detected, the other OPEs were extensively found in aquatic environment. The concentrations of Ʃ₁₄OPEs and Ʃ₇m-OPEs ranged from 45.0 to 231 ng/L and from 1.25 to 62.3 ng/L in ground water and ranged from 2.20 to 1709 and from 0.08 to 35.5 ng/L in surface water, respectively. Compared to other reports, the pollution in Minjiang and Tuojiang river was at medium level. The concentration ratios and correlation analysis between OPEs and m-OPEs indicated that OPEs in ground water had three main sources, and m-OPEs mainly came from direct usage. Low ecological risk was found for surface water. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of OPEs in surface and ground water via ingestion and dermal contact in moderate and high exposure scenarios were assessed, and results suggested the risks to human which mainly caused by Tri(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate could be negligible.