Occurrence and distribution of organic contaminants in the aquatic system in Berlin. Part II: Substituted phenols in Berlin surface water

In a surface water screening, 30 representative surface water samples colle cted from rivers, canals, and lakes in Berlin were investigated for the pre sence of 22 substituted phenols. The phenols selected include the 11 phenol s considered as "priority pollutants" by the US Environmental Protection Ag ency (US-EPA). Surface water samples were extracted applying solid-phase extraction with s tyrenedivinylbenzene adsorbent. The recoveries, determined in spiking exper iments, were between 80% and 103%. After derivatization with N-(tert-butyld imethylsilyl)-N-methyl-trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) the samples were analyz ed by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Phenol, creso ls, 2-ethylphenol, 2-chlorophenol, 4-chloro-3-methylphenol, pentachlorophen ol, 2-nitrophenol, and 4-nitrophenol were detected in the surface water sam ples at concentrations between 0.02 mu g/L and 7.8 mu g/L, respectively. Th e distribution of these residues in the Berlin surface waters showed that t he phenolic residues, with the exception of pentachlorophenol and 2-ethylph enol, do not originate primarily from municipal sewage treatment plants dis charges. Some of the phenols are formed naturally or occur as ubiquitous an thropogenic contaminants in the aquatic system.