Emission of bisphenol analogues including bisphenol A and bisphenol F from wastewater treatment plants in Korea.

Due to the regulation on bisphenol A (BPA) in several industrialized countries, the demand for other bisphenol analogues (BPs) as substitutes for BPA is growing. Eight BPs were determined in sludge from 40 representative wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Korea. Total concentrations of BPs (ΣBP) in sludge ranged from <LOQ to 25700 ng g(-1). The highest concentrations of ΣBP were found in sludge collected from WWTPs that received discharges from the paper and textile industries. The profiles of BPs were dependent on the proportions of industrial wastewater treated at each of the WWTPs. The sludge from industrial WWTPs contained elevated proportions of BPA, whereas sludge from domestic WWTPs was dominated by bisphenol F (BPF), suggesting use of BPF in certain industrial products in Korea. No significant correlations were found between BPs and the WWTP characteristics. The average per-capita emissions of BPs ranged from 0.04 (BPP) to 886 g capita(-1) d (BPA) through WWTP discharges. The emission fluxes of ΣBP through industrial WWTPs were 2-3 orders of magnitudes higher than those calculated for domestic WWTPs, indicating that industrial discharges are the major source of BPs into the Korean environment. This is the first nationwide survey of BPs in sludge from Korean WWTPs.