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

Summary

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).