Developing interim water quality criteria for emerging chemicals of concern for protecting marine life in the Greater Bay Area of South China

Shazia Farzana, Yuefei Ruan, Qi Wang, Rongben Wu, Zhang Kai, Yan Meng, Kenneth M.Y. Leung, Paul K.S. Lam

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study aimed to establish marine water quality criteria (MWQC) for emerging chemicals of concern (ECCs) for protecting aquatic life in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) of South China. Despite the frequent occurrence and elevated concentrations of these ECCs in the GBA, there is a lack of regional MWQC for these contaminants. We screened 21 common ECCs that were classified into the following six groups: (1) new persistent organic contaminants; (2) brominated flame retardants; (3) perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; (4) pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs); (5) plasticizers; and (6) personal care products. Globally, MWQC for PhACs remain largely unavailable despite their increasing occurrence in marine environments. Using an integrative scientific approach, we derived interim MWQC for the GBA with specific protection goals. The approach described herein can be applied for the derivation of MWQC for ECCs and the establishment of guidelines for ecological risk assessment in the GBA and other regions.

Original languageEnglish
Article number111792
JournalMarine Pollution Bulletin
Volume161
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Aquatic organisms
  • Emerging chemicals of concern
  • Greater Bay Area
  • Marine water quality criteria
  • Risk assessment

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