Occurrence, distribution, and risk assessment of parabens in the surface water of Terengganu River, Malaysia

Rohaya Abd Wahab; Tuan Fauzan Tuan Omar; Mohd Yusoff Nurulnadia; Najaa Nur Atiqah Rozulan

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115036

Occurrence, distribution, and risk assessment of parabens in the surface water of Terengganu River, Malaysia

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Jul:192:115036. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115036. Epub 2023 May 17.

Authors

Rohaya Abd Wahab¹, Tuan Fauzan Tuan Omar², Mohd Yusoff Nurulnadia³, Najaa Nur Atiqah Rozulan¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Mengabang Telipot, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
² Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Mengabang Telipot, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Ocean Pollution and Ecotoxicology Research Group, Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Mengabang Telipot, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. Electronic address: tuan.fauzan@umt.edu.my.
³ Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Mengabang Telipot, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Ocean Pollution and Ecotoxicology Research Group, Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Mengabang Telipot, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.

PMID: 37207388
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115036

Abstract

The concentration, distribution, and risk assessment of parabens were determined in the surface water of the Terengganu River, Malaysia. Target chemicals were extracted via solid-phase extraction, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Method optimization produced a high percentage recovery for methylparaben (MeP, 84.69 %), ethylparaben (EtP, 76.60 %), and propylparaben (PrP, 76.33 %). Results showed that higher concentrations were observed for MeP (3.60 μg/L) as compared with EtP (1.21 μg/L) and PrP (1.00 μg/L). Parabens are ubiquitously present in all sampling stations, with >99 % of detection. Salinity and conductivity were the major factors influencing the level of parabens in the surface water. Overall, we found no potential risk of parabens in the Terengganu River ecosystem due to low calculated risk assessment values (risk quotient < 1). In conclusion, parabens are present in the river, but their levels are too low to pose risks to aquatic organisms.

Keywords: Baseline; Endocrine disrupting chemicals; Parabens; Personal care products; Surface water; Terengganu River.

MeSH terms

Ecosystem
Malaysia
Parabens* / analysis
Parabens* / chemistry
Risk Assessment
Rivers / chemistry
Water* / analysis

Substances

Parabens
Water