Occurrence and temporal variations of the xenoestrogens bisphenol A, 4-tert-octylphenol, and tech. 4-nonylphenol in two German wastewater treatment plants

摘要

The xenoestrogens bisphenol A, 4-tert-octylphenol, and the technical isomer mixture of 4-nonylphenol (tech. 4-nonylphenol) belong to the group of chemicals which are called endocrine disrupters due to their property of causing hormonal dysfunctions in the endocrine system of organisms at very low concentrations. Bisphenol A, 4-tert-octylphenol, and the tech. 4-nonylphenol (mixture of isomers) were determined in water samples collected from the influent and effluent of two German wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) during a long-time sampling period from February 2003 till August 2005 to assess their occurrence and temporal variations in WWTPs. Methods The compounds were extracted and concentrated from water by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using Bond Elut PPL cartridges and quantified by use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results The influent concentrations were as follows: Bisphenol A < limit of detection of the method (