Occurrence and Fate of Selected Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Water and Sediment from an Urban Lake

Occurrence of five endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)—bisphenol-A (BPA), triclosan (TCS), 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), benzophenone-3, and 4-methylbenzylidene camphor—were monitored in East Lake, the largest urban lake in China. Other than EE2, all selected EDCs were detected at least once in the lake water with concentrations ≤89.1 ng/L. EDCs were detected with greater occurrence in spring than in other seasons. In lake sediment, TCS was detected at the greatest concentration (30.9 ng g−1), whereas BPA and EE2 were not detected. Spatial distribution of the EDCs in the lake water and the lake sediment showed similar patterns, and greater EDC residuals were found from those sites with known wastewater input. The linear adsorption coefficients (Kd) varied from 17.9 to 1,017 L kg−1 and were related to the octanol–water partition coefficient (Kow) values of the compounds. Photodegradation was a major process removing the EDCs from the lake water, and the presence of dissolved organic material and NO3− in the lake water can accelerate the photodegradation process. Degradation of the EDCs in the lake sediment was relatively slow and occurred mainly due to the microbial processes. All compounds were found more persistent under anoxic conditions than under oxic conditions.