Octylphenol and Nonylphenol in Surface Water of Ráckevei-Soroksári Danube Branch, Hungary

Concentrations of 4-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) in surface water samples were determined at 10 sites during eight samplings (October 2002 to April 2004) at Ráckevei-Soroksári Danube (RSD) branch, Hungary. OP levels in surface waters ranged from < 0.0016 to 0.0907 μ g L^{− 1}, whereas NP concentrations varied from < 0.008 to 0.428 μ g L^{− 1}. The highest concentrations were found at a specific site, which receives input from an industry. A seasonal trend with higher concentrations of OP and NP was observed in waters during the warmer months. Concentrations of OP and NP in surface water were compared with other reported concentrations around the world. The concentrations of NP in RSD were found to be below the reported toxic concentrations for marine and freshwater species.

Keywords:

• Octylphenol
• Nonylphenol
• River Danube
• Endocrine disruptors
• Water

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This study was sponsored partly by Hungarian Environmental ministry project number K-36-02-00318A and German-Hungarian Scientific and Technological Cooperation project number D36/02. V.K. Sharma acknowledges the support from the Environmental Partnership Science Program of the U.S. State Department. This article was improved from the useful comments of reviewers and editors.