Phthalates and Nonylphenols in Stormwater: A Substance Flow Analysis

The occurrence of several phthalates and nonylphenol in water environments is highly undesiredbecause of their negative effects on aquatic organisms. The objectives of this study were to identifyemission sources of phthalates, nonylphenol and its ethoxylates (NP/EOs) in urban stormwater, and toquantify the substance fluxes from the source to the stormwater system, using the methodology ofsubstance flow analysis (SFA). The flow analysis showed that phthalates are mainly emitted fromvehicles and coated roofing material, whereas the major NP/EOs sources are vehicles and concrete. It wasestimated that approximately 5.5 kg of four selected phthalates and more than 400 g of NP/EOs areemitted annually to stormwater in the studied area. The SFA approach presented in this study could beapplied in urban catchments of various character to estimate fluxes of unwanted water contaminants