Air-water exchange fluxes of phthalates and phenolics xenoestrogens on Xietang River and East Taihu Lake in Suzhou and the potential health risks

Minhao Wang, Dongling Li, Ting Tong, Ziyu Zhang, Yuwei Xia, Xinhui Shi, Haifei Zhang, Kui Chen, Fang Wang, Xiaowei Tie, Lei Han*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

As endocrine disruptors, xenoestrogens are prevalent in inland lakes and are mainly attributed to atmospheric transportation. There is limited research on the air-water exchange of xenoestrogens in inland waters and the consequent health effects. This study investigated the air-water exchange process of selected xenoestrogens and associated health risks in adults by examining water and PM2.5 samples from the East Taihu Lake and Xietang River in Suzhou. The mean concentration of total xenoestrogens in surface water and PM2.5 were 40.30 ± 7.19 ng L−1 and 460.13 ± 31.87 ng m−3 (East Taihu Lake), 536.69 ± 99.62 ng L−1 and 63.93 ± 3.82 ng m−3 (Xietang River), respectively. Utilising a two-film model, the air-water exchange flux was calculated, with BPA exhibiting the most comprehensive range among all xenoestrogens from −8.88 × 109 to −1.01 × 1010 near East Taihu Lake and −1.32 × 1010 to −1.13 × 1010 (ng m−2 d−1) near Xietang River. Different xenoestrogens displayed various air-water exchange directions. DBP shows the highest dry deposition fluxes of 9373.26 ± 611.59 near East Taihu Lake and 478.97 ± 48.00 (ng m−2 d−1) near Xietang River. The study also assessed the non-dietary exposure risk of six xenoestrogens in PM2.5 for adults, concluding that no non-cancer risks were identified, with a hazard index below 1. DEHP concentration is within an acceptable level of carcinogenic risk (incremental lifetime cancer risk <10−6). Results from this study underscore the importance of developing and implementing xenoestrogen management policies in the Taihu Lake Basin.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEnvironmental Science: Advances
DOIs
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 2025

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