Investigation of toxic phthalate esters and the ecotoxicological risk of bisphenol-a (BPA) in Istanbul Tuzla Shipyard Region sediment

The spatial distribution, quantities, and ecotoxicological risks of 4 phthalate ester (PE) and Bisphenol-A (BP-A) in the sediments the Istanbul Tuzla Shipyard region were investigated. The concentrations of ∑PE and BP-A are ∑886,39-10047,26 and 0-124,62 ng/g, (dwt), respectively. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and butyl-benzyl phthalate (BBP) are the predominant esters. The most abundant particle size fractions in the sediment are silt (17,0-48,7%) and clay (5,0-70,2%). In stations where ∑ PE and BP-A are detected in high concentrations, the ratio of clay and silt is high. The presence of these micro-pollutants in the region shows that they are not only related to the Tuzla creek input, but also to the geochemical characteristics of the sediment. The detected amounts of PEs and BP-A were compared with the Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPCs) and Eco-toxicological Concentrations of Serious Risk (SRCeco) in the literature. ∑PE exceeded the MPCs value in all stations except TZ 6,14. However, the SRCeco value for DEP, DBP, BBP and diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) in the inner part of harbour is not exceeded. The amount of ∑PEs is well above the maximum permissible concentration in the harbor sediment, indicating that it may have potential environmental impacts for the marine environment. BP-A was evaluated using a theoretical no effect concentration value (PNECsed). There is a moderate potential impact for TZ3,5-18,20,26, TZref sampling points marine ecosystem BF-A has a significantly high risk for the marine ecosystem at some sampling points located in the interior of the port associated with ship management, product use activities, and sewage wastewater, where fine grain size is dominant. Therefore, it is recommended to develop and implement an effective environmental management and control strategy to improve the port sediment quality and keep the ecological environment of the port away from EDCs intervention.