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Occurrence of organic plastic additives in surface waters of the Rhône River (France)
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Researchers monitored 22 organic plastic additives — including phthalates, organophosphate esters, and bisphenols — in the Rhône River over one year, finding phthalates as the dominant class (up to 541 ng/L), and estimating that 5–54 metric tons of these emerging contaminants are exported annually into the Mediterranean Sea.
We present here a comprehensive study (1-year regular sampling) on the occurrence of major families of organic plastic additives in the Rhône River surface waters. Potential sources and contaminant export are also discussed. A total of 22 dissolved phase samples were analyzed for 22 organic additives mainly used in the plastic industry, including organophosphate esters (OPEs), phthalates (PAEs) and bisphenols (BPs). Our results indicate that PAEs were the most abundant class, with concentrations ranging from 97 to 541 ng L, followed by OPEs (85-265 ng L) and BPs (4-21 ng L). Among PAEs, diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) was the most abundant compound, whereas TCPP (Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate) and TnBP (Tri(n-butyl)phosphate) were the predominant OPEs. Bisphenol S was the only BP detected. 5-54 metric tons year of dissolved organic plastic additives of emerging concern are estimated to be exported to the Gulf of Lion by the Rhône River, which is the main freshwater source of the Mediterranean Sea.
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