Assessment of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in waters of the Atoyac River basin, Puebla-Tlaxcala, Mexico
- 1Instituto tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (a01730767@tec.mx)
- 2Instituto tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Puebla, Mexico
The present study demonstrated the presence of phthalates in the Atoyac River, considered the second most polluted river in Mexico. The results showed that 9 PAES were detected in river water of the 15 PAES studied. Among the detected PAES, Bis-(2-methoxyethyl) phthalate (DMEP), Bis(4-methyl-2-pentyl) phthalate (BMPP), Di-n-hexyl phthalate (DNHP) and Dipentyl phthalate (DPP) had concentrations higher than those reported in highly polluted worldwide rivers.
The main source of phthalate pollution in the river was the discharges of untreated or poorly treated wastewater coming from the metropolitan area of Puebla and Tlaxcala states, which holds hundreds of industries. The distribution study of the sampling sites indicated that the highest concentrations of phthalates were detected in industrial areas. Sources of phthalates can be related to the presence of chemical plants, textile production, uses of solvents in the production of paper and mainly in the manufacture of plastic products.
In addition, the concentrations of the five most detected phthalates throughout the Atoyac River basin showed a decrease in the lotic water body (Valsequillo reservoir), which acts as a sewage oxidation lagoon, degrading some organic pollutants (including phthalates) present in the river waters
How to cite: Vázquez Tapia, I., Mora, A., Dueñas-Moreno, J., and Mahlknecht, J.: Assessment of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in waters of the Atoyac River basin, Puebla-Tlaxcala, Mexico, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10267, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10267, 2023.
