Nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPnEO) and nonylphenol (NP) have provoked much environmental concern because of their weak estrogenic activities. We monitored NPnEO and their metabolites in rivers in Tianjin and in a sewage treatment plant of Tianjin monthly for 1 year. The total concentrations of NPnEO and NP in influent, up to 47.2 microgL(-1) in August, were higher in summer than in other seasons. During the 12 months survey, NP was accumulated in most effluent samples with a mean value of 2.92 microgL(-1). The average concentrations of nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO), nonylphenol diethoxylate (NP2EO) and nonylphenol triethoxylate (NP3EO) in effluents were 1.26, 1.53 and 1.06 microgL(-1), which corresponds to percent removals of 75%, 60% and 62%, respectively. In rivers of Tianjin, NP2EO and nonylphenoxyethoxy acetic acid (NP2EC) exhibited the highest concentrations in the surface water, up to 1.38 and 9.59 microgL(-1), respectively. The pollution of nonylphenolic substances in sediments of Haihe River belongs to moderate or severe level in the world, with the total concentration between 4.1 and 9.9 microgg(-1), dry weight.