Occurrence, Spatial Variation, and Exposure Risk of 14 Bisphenol Analogues in Drinking Water in Sichuan, China †

Abstract

Bisphenol analogues (BPs) have raised increasing concerns regarding their occurrence and risks in drinking water systems. This study systematically investigated the occurrence, spatial distribution, ecological risks, and human exposure of 14 BPs in surface water, tap water, and commercially available bottled water in Sichuan Province, China. Thirteen to fourteen BPs were detected across the samples, with sum BPs concentrations (ΣBPs) ranging from 2.29 to 98.3 ng L⁻¹ in surface water, 10.5 to 670 ng L⁻¹ in tap water, and 2.73 to 38.2 ng L⁻¹ in bottled water. Relatively higher accumulation of ΣBPs was found in surface water from the Northeast Sichuan Economic Zone and the Chengdu Plain Economic Zone (median: 13.0 and 11.1 ng L⁻¹, respectively), compared to the Panxi Economic Zone (median: 4.27 ng L⁻¹). Ecological risk assessment indicated that BPA, BPBP, and BPG may pose low to moderate risks to ecosystems, while the estrogenic risk estimated by estrogen equivalent was negligible. Furthermore, the estimated daily intake (EDI) of BPA from tap water exceeded the tolerable daily intake recommended by the European Food Safety Authority, indicating a potential health risk from dietary exposure.