Pollution characteristics and underlying ecological risks of primary semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in urban watersheds of Shanghai, China

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2020-08, Vol.27 (22), p.27708-27720
• Main Authors: Shao, Hai-yang, Zhang, Zhou-chong, Chai, Jian-fei, Xu, Gang, Tang, Liang, Wu, Ming-hong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Anions; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cadmium; China; Contaminants; Dieldrin; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental effects; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Ethanol; Geologic Sediments; Health risks; Heavy metals; Hexachlorocyclohexane; Humans; Humic acids; Industrial wastewater; Iron; Magnetite; Organic carbon; Organic compounds; Organic matter; Organochlorine pesticides; Petroleum industry wastewaters; Petroleum products; Phosphate; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Research Article; Risk Assessment; Rivers; Sediment samplers; Sodium; Sodium hydroxide; Sulfates; Surface charge; Surface chemistry; Total organic carbon; Urban watersheds; VOCs; Volatile Organic Compounds; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-08528-3

We investigated the pollution characteristics of ninety semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in the rivers and lakes of Shanghai. Total concentrations of Σ 90 SVOCs in water and sediment samples from 30 sites ranged from 1.47 to 19.5 μg/L and 2.38 to 9.48 mg/kg, respectively. PAEs and PAHs were the major contaminant compounds found in all samples. OCPs accounted for less than 3% of the total concentrations of Σ 90 SVOCs and other SVOCs were either not detected or only detected in trace amounts. Our results indicated that domestic swage, industrial wastewater, petroleum products, and other human activities were the pollutant sources to the water and sediment. It is noteworthy that products that contain the banned chemicals HCH and DDT are still under use within the studied areas. Ecological and health risk assessment results showed that dieldrin and BBP have the potential to cause adverse effects on the environment, while B(a)p and DBP have high carcinogenic risks to humans.