Occurrence and distribution of several endocrine-disrupting chemicals in a chemical park: exploring the health risks of multiple pollutants

Abstract

Triclosan (TCS), triclocarban (TCC), parabens, bisphenols (BPAs), tetrabromobisphenol A and its alternatives (TBBPAs), and phthalate esters (PAEs) are typical endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which have received increasing attention due to their potential adverse effects on ecological and human health. Human exposure to these EDCs is widespread. However, data regarding the distribution and related health risks of multiple EDCs in chemical parks are relatively scarce. In this study, 28 EDCs were determined in surface soil, sediment, and sludge samples collected from the Yangkou Chemical Industrial Park (Jiangsu, China). With the exception of TBBPAs, the distributions of Σ(TCS + TCC), Σ6parabens, Σ8BPAs, and Σ9PAEs in environmental media were as follows: sludge > sediment ≥ soil. No obvious differences were found regarding the concentrations of Σ9PAEs within the soil samples. Higher levels of Σ(TCS + TCC) (186 μg kg-1 dw) and Σ3TBBPAs (154 μg kg-1 dw) were found in the soil near a chemical manufacturer and the main sewage outlet of a wastewater treatment plant, respectively. The non-carcinogenic risks of EDCs from soil were estimated, and the risk levels were found to be a few orders of magnitude lower than the reported reference dose (RfD) values. The hazard indexes for all the samples were smaller than one, suggesting that the chemical industrial park posed a low risk to the workers. Additionally, the mass inventories of Σ(TCS + TCC), Σ6parabens, Σ8BPAs, Σ3TBBPAs, and Σ9PAEs were estimated to be 507, 90.6, 133, 20.7, and 1090 kg, respectively. These findings help to establish baseline concentrations for EDCs in soil, sediment, and sludge in a chemical industrial park.