Contamination and historical trends of legacy and emerging plasticizers in sediment from highly industrialized bays of Korea

Highlights: • TOTM and DEHT were the dominant alternative plasticizers in the sedimentary environment. • Proximity to industrial complexes was crucial for sedimentary distribution of plasticizers. • Clear increasing trends in phthalates and alternative plasticizers were observed over time. • Industrialization and population were major factors affecting plasticizer contamination. • Sedimentary DEHP levels may pose adverse health effects for benthic organisms. Domestic and global regulations on phthalates have led to the introduction of non-phthalate plasticizers (NPPs) in industrial markets as alternative plasticizers. In this study, phthalates and NPPs from surface and core sediment samples taken from industrialized bays in Korea were measured to determine their distribution, contamination sources, historical records, and the ecological risks they posed. Phthalates and alternative plasticizers were detected in all surface samples and sediment cores, indicating ubiquitous contamination. Predominant phthalates were di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DiNP), and diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP) and di(2-ethylhexyl)terephthalate (DEHT) and tris(2-ethylhexyl)trimellitate (TOTM) were the most common NPPs. The total concentrations of phthalates and NPPs ranged from 76.3 to 59,400 ng/g dry weight and 95%) exceeded quality guidelines for DEHP, implying a potential risk for benthic organisms. This is the first report on historical trends of phthalates and alternative plasticizers.