Search

An urban river, Kamo River, located at the southern part of Saitama Prefecture had been found to be seriously polluted by nonylphenol (NP). Concentrations of nonylphenolic compounds (NP, nonylphenol ethoxylates, nonylphenoxy acetic acids) in the effluents from and the chemical products used in a dyes production factory, an industrial laundry, four gas stations, two car washing stations and a rubber product manufacturing factory were determined, and their characteristics were evaluated. The concentration of nonylphenolic compounds were ranged from 3.2 to 1,600 μg/L in the effluents. Seven out of 33 chemical products (detergents, dispersants, waxes) used in the factories and the stations contained nonylphenolic compounds of 1.1 μg/g to 0.97g/g. An annual emission load of nonylphenolic compounds in the effluent from the rubber product manufacturing factory, whose nonylphenolic compounds detected was 1,600 μg/L, was estimated to be 105 kg. Whereas the factory was identified to be the major pollution sources of nonylphenolic compounds in the Kamo River, it was also found that gas stations and car washing stations widely distributed in the river basin were pollution sources. Moreover, it was suggested that the oligomer pattern of nonylphenolic compounds in an effluent reflected the situation of wastewater treatment of each business site.

Waste combustion, commercial PCB products, and two agrochemicals, PCP and CNP, are considered as four major sources of dioxins in the environment of Japan. In this study, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, 2,3,3',4,4'-PeCB (#105), 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD, and 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD were selected as respective indicator isomers for the above-mentioned four dioxin sources. Formulas to estimate the respective TEQs originated from the four sources using the concentrations of the four indicator isomers were proposed, and were validated by comparison with the previous reports. The formulas were applied to environmental samples such as ambient air, soil, river sediment, and river water. The estimated total TEQ was approximately equal to the observed total TEQ.

A survey study for estrogens, nonylphenol (NP) and its precursors (nonylphenol ethoxylates and nonylphenol ethoxy acetates) was conducted for water and sediment of the Kamo River and its inflow waterways. 17β-estradiol (β-E2), estrone (E1) and 17α-estradiol were detected in river water and sediment up to the levels near their highest concentrations detected in the nationwide surveys. β-E2 concentration in water at almost all sampling sites was higher in winter and spring and lower in summer and autumn, suggesting more active decomposition of β-E2 by microorganisms at high water temperature. E1 showed the largest contribution to estrogenic activity of water among the examined compounds. However, NP accounted for a large part in estrogenic activity of sediment. The average emission loads of β-E2 and E1 estimated in the Kamo River basin were 12 and 75 nmol/cap/day, respectively. These values corresponded to a comparatively high amount estimated in the effluents from sewage treatment plants.