Detection of emerging pollutants in ocean waters around king george Island, Antarctica

Abstract

Emerging contaminants are a wide group of compounds that include several classes of organic substances. Personal care products, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, industrial additives, monomers and plasticizers are examples of compounds included in emerging contaminants. In this work, four chemicals representing four classes of organic contaminants were investigated: salicylic acid, representing drugs; bisphenol A, a monomer widely used in the production of polymeric products; methylparaben, used as a preservative in cosmetics; and irgarol, a biocide used in agriculture and antifouling paints. A previously validated method based on liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was employed to determine the trace-levels of those compounds in ocean waters around King George Island, Antarctica. Salicylic acid and bisphenol A were found in many of the 20 samples investigated, which were collected on the northwest and southeast coasts of the island. Methylparaben and irgarol were found at low levels, each with only one occurrence. Although salicylic acid may originate in the biosynthesis of phenylalanine, the distribution and absence of this substance at some points suggest an anthropic origin. Bisphenol A was found in several sampling points, demonstrating contamination by plastics even though no correlation was found between these two compounds.