| Abstract
| - As part of a larger effort to characterize the impacts toCapeCod drinking water supplies from on-site wastewaterdisposal, we developed two analytical methods using HPLCand GC/MS for a range of compounds identified asendocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including thenonionicsurfactants alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEOs) and theirdegradation products. We analyzed samples fornonylphenol, octylphenol, and their ethoxylates up to thehexaethoxylate using an HPLC method, with detectionlimits ranging from 2 to 6 μg/L. A set of phenoliccompoundsincluding bisphenol A and nonylphenol were derivatizedand analyzed by GC/MS with detection limits from 0.001 to0.02 μg/L. Total APEOs in untreated wastewater andseptage samples ranged from 1350 to 11 000 μg/L by theHPLC method. Nonylphenol was detected in all septagesamples at concentrations above 1000 μg/L.Phenylphenoland bisphenol A were detected in septage and wastewaterat about 1 μg/L. In groundwater downgradient of aninfiltration bed for secondary treated effluent, nonyl/octylphenol and ethoxylates were present at about30 μg/L. Bisphenol A, nonylphenolmonoethoxycarboxylate,and nonyl/octylphenol tetraethoxylate were detected insome drinking water wells at concentrations ranging frombelow the quantitation limit to 32.9 μg/L. Resultssuggestthat septic systems may be a significant source of APEOsto groundwater.
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