Comprehensive Review on Environmental Biogeochemistry of Nonylphenol and Suggestions for the Management of Emerging Contaminants

In recent years, China's air environment, water environment, and soil environmental quality have been improved, and a "clear water blue sky" has become a normal state. However, as persistent organic pollutants, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, antibiotics, microplastics, and other emerging contaminants are continuously detected in the environment, these emerging contaminants have gradually been attracting wide attention. Nonylphenol, as a typical endocrine disrupting chemical, has also attracted the attention of researchers. The environmental behaviors and exposure levels of nonylphenol in Chinese water bodies were summarized systematically, and the ecological risks caused by nonylphenol were evaluated based on the risk quotient method and joint probability curve method. The results showed that the toxic effects of nonylphenol on aquatic organisms mainly included acute toxicity, growth and development toxicity, and estrogenic effect and reproductive toxicity. Nonylphenol was commonly found in the water bodies of major drainage areas in China, and the average concentration of nonylphenol ranged from 60 to 1000 ng·L-1, with the highest concentration being as high as 4628 ng·L-1. The results of risk assessment based on the risk quotient method and joint probability curve method showed that nonylphenol had certain risks to aquatic life in the major basins of China. Finally, the commonly used nonylphenol treatment, disposal, and risk management and control technologies were summarized, and the international supervision methods of endocrine-disrupting chemicals were compared. Aiming at addressing the problems existing in China's environmental management, targeted policy suggestions were put forward. The research results can provide reference for the management and control of emerging contaminants in China.