Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020 May;27(13):14852-14862. doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-08001-1. Epub 2020 Feb 14.
Since the production of brominated flame retardants has been gradually phased out, organophosphate esters (OPEs) are increasingly used as the substitutes. Given their toxicity and water solubility, OPEs may jeopardize the aquatic environment and organisms. Here, we examined the concentration, composition, and biological risk of OPEs in the water collected from the eight major waterways in the Pearl River Delta, a highly industrialized region in China. We found a widespread occurrence of OPEs in this region (∑OPEs: 134 to 442 ng L), dominated by TCPP, TCEP, and TnBP. Halogenated OPEs were dominant over alkyl and aromatic OPEs. The biological risk of OPEs, mainly contributed by TPhP and TnBP, was low (RQ < 0.1). The contamination level of OPEs in the Pearl River Delta was likely associated with the degree of industrial activities. Although OPEs posed low risk to aquatic organisms, more attention should be paid to some OPEs in the future, such as TnBP, due to the high usage and toxicity. Considering the concentrations of OPEs worldwide and their usage, OPEs may become the emerging pollutants of global concern in the next decade.
由于溴系阻燃剂的生产已逐步被淘汰，有机磷酸酯（OPEs）越来越多地被用作替代品。鉴于其毒性和水溶性，OPEs 可能会危及水生环境和生物。在这里，我们研究了中国高度工业化的珠江三角洲八大水系采集的水样中 OPEs 的浓度、组成和生物风险。我们发现该地区 OPEs 的广泛存在（∑OPEs：134 至 442ng/L），以 TCPP、TCEP 和 TnBP 为主。卤代 OPEs 比烷基和芳香族 OPEs 更为常见。OPEs 的生物风险主要由 TPhP 和 TnBP 造成，风险较低（RQ<0.1）。OPEs 在珠江三角洲的污染程度可能与工业活动的程度有关。尽管 OPEs 对水生生物的风险较低，但由于其高使用率和毒性，未来应更加关注 TnBP 等一些 OPEs。考虑到全球 OPEs 的浓度及其使用情况，OPEs 可能会在未来十年成为全球关注的新兴污染物。
