Bisphenol A in surface waters in Germany: Part I. Reassessment of sources and emissions pathways for FlowEQ modeling

Abstract

AbstractBisphenol A (BPA) enters the environment through various industrial and consumer‐related pathways. Industrial sources include BPA manufacturing and secondary industrial uses such as the manufacturing of polymers and other substances based on or containing BPA. However, secondary sources and emissions to the environment, such as those related to the consumer use of articles containing BPA, may be more important than industrial emissions. Although readily biodegradable, BPA is widely distributed in various environmental compartments and living organisms. It is still not well understood which specific sources and pathways are responsible for releasing BPA into the environment. Therefore, we developed FlowEQ, a coupled flow network and fugacity‐based fate and transport model for the assessment of BPA in surface water. The work is divided into two parts. In Part I, inputs needed to support the modeling and model validation were collected. Bisphenol A was measured at 23 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and 21 landfills in Germany. In addition, the BPA content of 132 consumer articles from 27 article classes was analyzed. Bisphenol A concentrations in WWTPs ranged from 0.33 to 910 µg L−1 in influents and from less than 0.01 to 0.65 µg L−1 in effluents, resulting in removal efficiencies of 13%–100%. Average BPA concentrations in landfill leachate ranged from less than 0.01 to approximately 1400 µg L−1. Bisphenol A concentrations measured in consumer articles varied significantly by type, ranging from less than 0.5 µg kg−1 in printing inks up to 1 691 700 µg kg−1 in articles made from recycled polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These concentrations were combined with information on use, leaching, and contact with water to develop estimates of loadings. Together with the results of the FlowEQ modeling presented in Part II, this assessment improves our understanding of the sources and emission pathways of BPA in surface water. The model considers various sources of BPA and can estimate future surface water concentrations of BPA based on changes in use. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:211–225. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).