AWWA WQTC71514

The occurrence of thirty-one selected endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals/personal care products (PPCPs) in Korean surface waters was investigated. Samples were collected from upstream/downstream and effluent-dominated creeks along the Han River, Seoul, South Korea, and analyzed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). Most target compounds were detected in both the Han River samples (over 60%) and the effluent-dominated creek samples (over 75%). Iopromide, atenolol, TCPP, TECP, musk ketone, naproxen, DEET, carbamazepine, caffeine, and benzophenone were frequently detected in both river and creek samples, although the mean concentrations in effluent-dominated creek samples (< 3745 ng/L) were significantly higher than those in river samples (< 1013 ng/L). However, the steroid hormones 17ß-estradiol, 17a-ethynylestradiol, progesterone, and testosterone, were not detected (< 1 ng/L) in both the river and creek samples. Numerous target compounds were found to be positively correlated (over 0.8) to the conventional water quality parameters (chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved organic carbon, and ultraviolet absorbance). Results of this study provide increasing evidence that certain EDCs and PPCPs commonly occur in the Han River as the result of wastewater outfalls. Includes 35 references, tables, figures.