In this study, the spatial distribution characteristics of nine alkylphenols (APs) in the Yongding River and Beiyun River were analyzed. The differences in the concentrations and spatial distribution patterns of nine APs were systematically evaluated using principal component analysis (PCA). The relationships between the concentration distribution patterns and the risks associated with nine APs were investigated under various categories of land use conditions in the region. The results demonstrated that the APs were widely present in both rivers, and the pollution risks associated with the APs were more severe in the Yongding River than in the Beiyun River. The results show that the contamination risks associated with 4-NP were the most serious in the two rivers, with detection percentages of 100% and 96.3%, respectively. In the Yongding River, the APs showed a tendency of low concentration levels in the upper reaches and high levels in the middle and lower regions. Meanwhile, the overall concentration levels of the APs in the Beiyun River were relatively high. However, despite the differences between the upper and middle regions of the Yongding River, the distribution pattern of the APs in the Beiyun River was basically stable. The concentration levels and risk quotient of the APs were negatively correlated with the vegetation cover land use type and positively correlated with the cropland and unused land use types within 500 m, 1 km, and 2 km. The purpose of this study was to provide theoretical data support and a basis for AP pollution risk evaluations in the Yongding River and Beiyun River.
Keywords: alkylphenols; distribution characteristics; ecological risks; emerging contaminants; endocrine disrupting chemicals; types of land use.