Behaviour of alkylphenol polyethoxylate surfactants in the aquatic environment-II. Occurrence and transformation in rivers

Bioaccumulation of the lipophilic metabolites of nonionic surfactants in freshwater organisms.

European Union Risk Assessment Report

Alkylphenol Ethoxylates: Trace Analysis and Environmental Behavior.

Behaviour of alkylphenol polyethoxylate surfactants in the aquatic environment--iii . occurrence and elimination of their persistent metabolites during infiltration of river water to groundwater

Pentachlorophenol, 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol, 4-nonylphenol, 4-nonyl-phenolmonoethoxyl ate, 4-nonylphenoldiethoxylate, tetrachloroethylene and 1,4-dichlorobenzene were quantitatively determined in surface waters of the Glatt Valley, Switzerland. Monthly samples were collected during one year from four locations along the Glatt River, from two small creeks and from the effluents of two municipal wastewater treatment plants. The longitudinal concentration and load profiles found in the Glatt River indicated that all of these micropollutants are mainly introduced into the river via treated wastewater effluents. The highly chlorinated phenols remain unchanged in the river, while the other pollutants are affected by various physico-chemical and biological processes. Depth profiles of tetrachloroethylene in the Greifensee, the lake which feeds the Glatt, showed that this compound was eliminated from the epilimnion by transfer to the atmosphere and by discharge into the Glatt River.

Organic Micropollutants in Surface Waters of the Glatt Valley, Switzerland

The combined use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) offers many advantages for the analysis of complex mixtures of organic chemicals commonly encountered in environmental samples. Of particular benefit is the complementary application of normal- and reversed-phase separation systems in HPLC and the use of HPLC as a preparative separation before detailed analysis by HRGC and HRGC/MS. Several examples of such applications are presented including determinations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, oil hydrocarbons, alkyl phenols and alkylphenolpolyethoxylates.

Determination of Organic Water Pollutants by the Combined Use of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and High-Resolution Gas Chromatography

Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), pentachlorophenol (PCP), nonylphenol (NP), nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1E0) and nonylphenol diethoxylate (NP2E0) have been studied at a field site of river water infiltrating into the ground water. During one year samples were collected at approximately monthly intervals from the river and from the ground water using observation wells in different distances from the rives bed. NTA, occurring in the river at concentrations of 8 to 83 mg/m3, was rapidly eliminated within the first two meters of infiltration by biological degradation. The PCP concentrations 0.10 to 0.25 mg/m3 in the river were lowered to 0.02 to 0.07 mg/m3 in the ground water after an infiltration distance of 7 m. NP, NP1E0 and NP2E0 showed a behaviour corresponding to an intermediate persistance in comparison to the two other micropollutants.

Behaviour of Organic Micropollutants during Infiltration of River Water into Ground Water : Results of a Field Study in the Glatt Valley, Switzerland

A comprehensive study examing the occurrence and transformation of aromatic nonionic surfactants of the nonylphenol polyethoxylate type and of their metabolites in the Glatt River was performed. The longitudinal river concentration-profile has indicated that secondary effluents from municipal sewage treatment plants were the major source of investigated chemicals into the Glatt River. The majority of nonylphenolic compounds in the Glatt River were in the form of persistent metabolites, the most abundant ones being nonylphenoxy carboxylic acids. Mass flow estimates for various classes of nonylphenolic compounds indicated different metabolic pathways in the river. For nonylphenol polyethoxylates, lipophilic nonylphenol ethoxylates, and nonylphenols partial elimination was observed within the 35 km of river that was examined in the study, while for nonylphenol carboxylic acids a significant formation was observed. The lipophilic metabolites of nonylphenol polyethoxylates were found to be at considerable concentrations in the river sediments (0.24–13.1 mg/kg).

M. Ahel

Papers

Organic Micropollutants in Surface Waters of the Glatt Valley, Switzerland

Determination of Organic Water Pollutants by the Combined Use of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and High-Resolution Gas Chromatography

Behaviour of Organic Micropollutants during Infiltration of River Water into Ground Water : Results of a Field Study in the Glatt Valley, Switzerland

Behaviour of Detergent Derived Organic Chemicals in the Glatt River. 1. Alkylphenol Polyethoxylates and Their Metabolites