Bisphenol and phthalate levels, sources, and hazard estimation in sediments from a reef system: First study in the southern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Bisphenols (BPs) and phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are emerging pollutants (EPs) associated with plastic pollution, as they are used in manufacturing processes and easily separated from these msaterials, accumulating in the sediments of coastal and marine ecosystems. This is the first report of the concentrations of BPs and PAEs in surface and trap sediments from a Protected Natural Area (PNA) of great biological, tourist, and economic importance in the southern Gulf of Mexico (GoM), the Veracruz Reef System National Park (VRSNP). ΣBPs in surface sediments were between 7.0 × 10^-2 and 1.35 ng g^-1, for ΣPAEs from 0.18 to 4.59 × 10³ ng g^-1, while in the trap sediments, the ΣPAEs were between 0.12 and 3.17 × 10³ ng g^-1. Plasticizer bisphenol A (BPA) showed the highest concentration (0.66 ng g^-1), whereas di-butyl phthalate (DBP) for PAEs (2.58 × 10³ ng g^-1). PAEs were strongly associated with terrigenous sources, while BPs with urban and port activities. The ecotoxicological hazard was estimated from the sediments, where BPs had a low hazard level, and PAEs presented a moderate to high hazard level for the reef benthos, reflecting the enormous anthropogenic pressures on the VRSNP. This study contributes with the first scientifically and technically reliable records of EPs, necessary to influence the definition of effective strategies for coastal management and territorial planning of the basins that directly influence chemical pollution. These efforts are crucial for mitigating risk to biodiversity and ensuring the conservation of this PNA in the southern GoM.

Keywords: Bisphenols; Gulf of Mexico; Phthalates; Plasticizers; Reef ecosystem; Surface and trap sediments.