First Data on PAE Levels in Surface Water in Lakes of the Eastern Coast of Baikal

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 9;20(2):1173. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20021173.

Abstract

The increasing consumption of phthalates (PAEs), along with their high toxicity and high mobility, poses a threat to the environment. This study presents initial data on the contents of six priority PAEs in the water of lakes located on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal-Arangatui, Bormashevoe, Dukhovoe, Kotokel, and Shchuchye. The mean total concentrations of the six PAEs in lakes Arangatui and Bormashevoe (low anthropogenic load) were comparable to those in Kotokel (medium anthropogenic load, 17.34 µg/L) but were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in Dukhovoe and Shchuchye (high anthropogenic load, 10.49 and 2.30 µg/L, respectively). DBP and DEHP were the main PAEs in all samples. The DEHP content in lakes Arangatui and Bormashevoe was quite high, and at some sampling sites it exceeded the MACs established by Russian, U.S. EPA, and WHO regulations. The assessment showed that there is no potential risk to humans associated with the presence of PAEs in drinking water. However, the levels of DEHP, DBP, and DnOP in the water pose a potential threat to sensitive aquatic organisms, as shown by the calculated risk quotients (RQs). It is assumed that the origin of the phthalates in the studied lakes is both anthropogenic and biogenic.

Keywords: PAEs; lakes of the eastern coast of Baikal; risk assessment; source of origin; spatiotemporal variation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Dibutyl Phthalate
  • Diethylhexyl Phthalate*
  • Esters
  • Humans
  • Lakes
  • Phthalic Acids*
  • Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

  • Phthalic Acids
  • Diethylhexyl Phthalate
  • Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Esters
  • Dibutyl Phthalate

Grants and funding

This research was carried out at the expense of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (No. 22-27-00677, https://rscf.ru/project/22-27-00677/, accessed on 1 December 2022).