IDENTIFICATION OF ALKYLPHENOLS AND OTHER ESTROGENIC PHENOLIC-COMPOUNDS IN WASTE-WATER, SEPTAGE, AND GROUNDWATER ON CAPE-COD, MASSACHUSETTS

As part of a larger effort to characterize the impacts to Cape Cod dri nking water supplies from on-site wastewater disposal, we developed tw o analytical methods using HPLC and GC/MS for a range of compounds ide ntified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including the nonion ic surfactants alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEOs) and their degradati on products. We analyzed samples for nonylphenol, octylphenol, and the ir ethoxylates up to the hexaethoxylate using an HPLC method, with det ection limits ranging from 2 to 6 mu g/L. A set of phenolic compounds including bisphenol A and nonylphenol were derivatized and analyzed by GC/MS with detection limits from 0.001 to 0.02 mu g/l. Total APEOs in untreated wastewater and I septage samples ranged from 1350 to 11 000 mu g/L by the HPLC method. Nonylphenol was detected in all septage sa mples at concentrations above 1000 mu g/L. Phenylphenol and bisphenol A were detected in septage and wastewater at about 1 mu g/L. In ground water downgradient of an infiltration bed for secondary treated efflue nt, nonyl/octylphenol and ethoxylates were present at about 30 mu g/L. Bisphenol A, nonylphenol monoethoxycarboxylate, and nonyl/octylphenol tetraethoxylate were detected in some drinking water wells at concent rations ranging from below the quantitation limit to 32.9 mu g/l. Resu lts suggest that septic systems may be a significant source of APEOs t o groundwater.