Abstract  Samples of groundwater were collected from 17 sites in the Jianghan plain in July 2007. Sixteen phthalate esters (PAEs) were detected in samples collected by using solid-phase extraction (SPE)-gas chromatography (GC). The results show that there were one or several PAEs in all the samples, and the concentrations of total PAEs ranged from 80.12 to 1882.18 ng/L. Four PAEs, i.e. di-isobutyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), bis (2-ethoxyethyl) phthalate (BEEP) and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate DEHP) were the dominant species. Among these, DIBP, DBP and DEHP concentrations were closely related to the water supply from the Yangtze River, Hanjiang River and Honghu Lake. However, the distribution of BEEP was irregular, which may be due to the application of some kind of products containing BEEP in the related areas. PAE distribution was irrelevant to the electrical conductivity and sample depth.

Abstract  A model was derived for the glass transition temperature of plasticised polymers with up to 30% plasticiser by weight. The model was derived from the Sanchez-Lacombe equation of state and the Gibbs-DiMarzio criterion which states that the total system entropy is zero at the glass transition. The model was compared with empirical results for the glass transitions and efficiency parameters for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plasticised with various dialkyl phthalates and polystyrene (PVC) plasticised with various aliphatic esters and non-polar solvents. It was discovered that the plasticiser efficiency parameter is parabolic with respect to the plasticiser molecular weight for PVC/phthalate and PS/ester systems. 34 refs.

Abstract  BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that body mass index (BMI), especially obesity, is associated with subfertility in men. Semen parameters are central to male fertility and reproductive hormones also play a role in spermatogenesis. This review aimed to investigate the association of BMI with semen parameters and reproductive hormones in men of reproductive age.

METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Biological Abstracts, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases and references from relevant articles were searched in January and February 2009. Outcomes included for semen parameters were sperm concentration, total sperm count, semen volume, motility and morphology. Reproductive hormones included were testosterone, free testosterone, estradiol, FSH, LH, inhibin B and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate sperm concentration and total sperm count.

RESULTS: In total, 31 studies were included. Five studies were suitable for pooling and the meta-analysis found no evidence for a relationship between BMI and sperm concentration or total sperm count. Overall review of all studies similarly revealed little evidence for a relationship with semen parameters and increased BMI. There was strong evidence of a negative relationship for testosterone, SHBG and free testosterone with increased BMI.

CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review with meta-analysis has not found evidence of an association between increased BMI and semen parameters. The main limitation of this review is that data from most studies could not be aggregated for meta-analysis. Population-based studies with larger sample sizes and longitudinal studies are required.

Abstract  Obesity has become a major health problem. Testosterone plays a significant role in obesity, glucose homeostasis, and lipid metabolism. The metabolic syndrome is a clustering of risk factors predisposing to diabetes mellitus type 2, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The main components of the syndrome are visceral obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, raised blood pressure and dyslipidemia (elevated triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and a proinflammatory and thrombogenic state. Cross-sectional epidemiological studies have reported a direct correlation between plasma testosterone and insulin sensitivity, and low testosterone levels are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, dramatically illustrated by androgen deprivation in men with prostate carcinoma. Lower total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) predict a higher incidence of the metabolic syndrome. Administration of testosterone to hypogonadal men reverses part of the unfavorable risk profile for the development of diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Abstract  What this report shows is that chemicals that may present a long-term hazard to human health are present in significant amounts in virtually every one of over 100 homes we visited. Here then is a clue as to why levels are increasing, exponentially in some cases, in human breast milk, blood and other body tissues. We cannot assume that there will be no adverse effects from this. We expect government to act to end this state of affairs.

Abstract  BACKGROUND: Anogenital distance (AGD), a sexually dimorphic measure of genital development, is a marker for endocrine disruption in animal studies and may be shorter in infant males with genital anomalies. Given the correlation between anogenital distance and genital development, we sought to determine if anogenital distance varied in fertile compared to infertile adult men.

METHODS: A cross sectional study of consecutive men being evaluated for infertility and men with proven fertility was recruited from an andrology clinic. Anogenital distance (the distance from the posterior aspect of the scrotum to the anal verge) and penile length (PL) were measured using digital calipers. ANOVA and linear regression were used to determine correlations between AGD, fatherhood status, and semen analysis parameters (sperm density, motility, and total motile sperm count).

FINDINGS: A total of 117 infertile men (mean age: 35.3±17.4) and 56 fertile men (mean age: 44.8±9.7) were recruited. The infertile men possessed significantly shorter mean AGD and PL compared to the fertile controls (AGD: 31.8 vs 44.6 mm, PL: 107.1 vs 119.5 mm, p<0.01). The difference in AGD persisted even after accounting for ethnic and anthropomorphic differences. In addition to fatherhood, on both unadjusted and adjusted linear regression, AGD was significantly correlated with sperm density and total motile sperm count. After adjusting for demographic and reproductive variables, for each 1 cm increase in a man's AGD, the sperm density increases by 4.3 million sperm per mL (95% CI 0.53, 8.09, p = 0.03) and the total motile sperm count increases by 6.0 million sperm (95% CI 1.34, 10.58, p = 0.01). On adjusted analyses, no correlation was seen between penile length and semen parameters.

CONCLUSION: A longer anogenital distance is associated with fatherhood and may predict normal male reproductive potential. Thus, AGD may provide a novel metric to assess reproductive potential in men.

Abstract  Phthalates are used as plasticizers and solvents in industrial, medical and consumer products; however, occupational exposure information is limited. We sought to obtain preliminary information on occupational exposures to diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) by analyzing for their metabolites in urine samples collected from workers in a cross-section of industries. We also obtained data on metabolites of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BzBP), di-isobutyl phthalate and di-isononyl phthalate. We recruited 156 workers in 2003-2005 from eight industry sectors. We assessed occupational contribution by comparing end-shift metabolite concentrations to the US general population. Evidence of occupational exposure to DEHP was strongest in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film manufacturing, PVC compounding and rubber boot manufacturing where geometric mean (GM) end-shift concentrations of DEHP metabolites exceeded general population levels by 8-, 6- and 3-fold, respectively. Occupational exposure to DBP was most evident in rubber gasket, phthalate (raw material) and rubber hose manufacturing, with DBP metabolite concentrations exceeding general population levels by 26-, 25- and 10-fold, respectively, whereas DBP exposure in nail-only salons (manicurists) was only 2-fold higher than in the general population. Concentrations of DEP and DMP metabolites in phthalate manufacturing exceeded general population levels by 4- and >1000-fold, respectively. We also found instances where GM end-shift concentrations of some metabolites exceeded general population concentrations even when no workplace use was reported, e.g. BzBP in rubber hose and rubber boot manufacturing. In summary, using urinary metabolites, we successfully identified workplaces with likely occupational phthalate exposure. Additional work is needed to distinguish occupational from non-occupational sources in low-exposure workplaces.

Abstract  The glass transition and structural relaxation dynamics of various binary glass-forming liquids are investigated with dielectric relaxation measurements across the entire composition range. Three categories of solutions with weak, intermediate, and strong mixing effects, namely methyl-m-toluate in methyl o-toluate, methyl m-toluate in di-n-butyl phthalate, and 1,2-propandiol in 2-hexylamine, are selected to address the mixing behaviors from near-ideal to nonideal cases. The glass transition temperatures, fragility indices, and stretching exponents of the solutions are determined and their composition dependence is the focus of this study. The experimental measurements show that mixing generally generates a negative deviation of fragility m relative to the composition average of the results of two neat components (ideal mixing law). This excess negative fragility proves to be a universal feature of binary systems, and the increase of the nonideal mixing degree results in a more pronounced negative deviation. In contrast, the composition dependence of the stretching exponents is more complex, and a transition from the negative to positive deviation is observed for substantial nonideal character. The study assists understanding the dynamics of multicomponent glass formers.

Abstract  The exposure of the general population to phthalates is of increasing public health concern. Variations in the internal exposure of the population are likely, because the amounts, distribution and application characters of the phthalate use change over time. Estimating the chronological sequences of the phthalate exposure, we performed a retrospective human biomonitoring study by investigating the metabolites of the five most prominent phthalates in urine. Therefore, 24h-urine samples from the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) collected from 240 subjects (predominantly students, age range 19-29 years, 120 females, 120 males) in the years 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 (60 individuals each), were analysed for the concentrations of mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) as metabolite of di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP) as metabolite of di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) as metabolite of butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5OH-MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (5oxo-MEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (5cx-MEPP) and mono-(2-carboxymethyl hexyl) phthalate (2cx-MMHxP) as metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), monohydroxylated (OH-MiNP), monooxidated (oxo-MiNP) and monocarboxylated (cx-MiNP) mono-iso-nonylphthalates as metabolites of di-iso-nonyl phthalates (DiNP). Based on the urinary metabolite excretion, together with results of a previous study, which covered the years 1988-2003, we investigated the chronological sequences of the phthalate exposure over two decades. In more than 98% of the urine samples metabolites of all five phthalates were detectable indicating a ubiquitous exposure of people living in Germany to all five phthalates throughout the period investigated. The medians in samples from the different years investigated are 65.4 (2002), 38.5 (2004), 29.3 (2006) and 19.6μg/l (2008) for MnBP, 31.4 (2002), 25.4 (2004), 31.8 (2006) and 25.5μg/l (2008) for MiBP, 7.8 (2002), 6.3 (2004), 3.6 (2006) and 3.8μg/l (2008) for MBzP, 7.0 (2002), 5.6 (2004), 4.1 (2006) and 3.3μg/l (2008) for MEHP, 19.6 (2002), 16.2 (2004), 13.2 (2006) and 9.6μg/l (2008) for 5OH-MEHP, 13.9 (2002), 11.8 (2004), 8.3 (2006) and 6.4μg/l (2008) for 5oxo-MEHP, 18.7 (2002), 16.5 (2004), 13.8 (2006) and 10.2μg/l (2008) for 5cx-MEPP, 7.2 (2002), 6.5 (2004), 5.1 (2006) and 4.6μg/l (2008) for 2cx-MMHxP, 3.3 (2002), 2.8 (2004), 3.5 (2006) and 3.6μg/l (2008) for OH-MiNP, 2.1 (2002), 2.1 (2004), 2.2 (2006) and 2.3μg/l (2008) for oxo-MiNP and 4.1 (2002), 3.2 (2004), 4.1 (2006) and 3.6μg/l (2008) for cx-MiNP. The investigation of the time series 1988-2008 indicates a decrease of the internal exposure to DnBP by the factor of 7-8 and to DEHP and BzBP by the factor of 2-3. In contrast, an increase of the internal exposure by the factor of 4 was observed for DiNP over the study period. The exposure to DiBP was found to be stable. In summary, we found decreases of the internal human exposure for legally restricted phthalates whereas the exposure to their substitutes increased. Future investigations should verify these trends. This is of increasing importance since the European Commission decided to require ban or authorization from 1.1.2015 for DEHP, DnBP, DiBP and BzBP according to REACh Annex XIV.

Abstract  Phthalates have been identified as endocrine active compounds associated with developmental and reproductive toxicity. The exposure to phthalates in premenstrual Egyptian females remains unknown. The objective of this study was to characterize phthalate exposure of a potentially vulnerable population of premenstrual girls from urban and rural Egypt.

We collected one spot urine sample from 60 10-13 year old females, 30 from rural Egypt, and 30 from urban Egypt from July to October 2009. Samples were analyzed for 11 phthalate metabolites. Additionally, we collected anthropometrics as well as questionnaire data concerning food storage behaviors, cooking practices, and cosmetic use. Phthalate metabolite concentrations were compared between urban and rural Egyptians as well as to age and gender matched Americans.

Monoethyl phthalate (MEP), was detected at the highest concentration in urine of Egyptian girls (median: 43.2 ng/mL in rural, 98.8 ng/mL in urban). Concentrations of urinary metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and dibutyl phthalate were comparable between Egyptians and age matched US girls. Storage of food in plastic containers was a statistically significant predictor of urinary mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) concentrations when comparing covariate adjusted means.

Urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites were similar in Egyptian and US populations, suggesting that phthalate exposure also occurs in developing nations. Dietary intake is likely an important route of exposure to phthalates in both urban and rural populations.

Abstract  Phthalate and phenol exposure is prevalent among the general population and of potential concern for pregnant women and children because of their suspected susceptibility to endocrine effects.

To evaluate the extent of exposure to several phthalates and phenols in a sample of Spanish pregnant women - according to their individual characteristics (age, social class, education, and body mass index) - and children who participated in the INMA - Infancia y Medio Ambiente (Environment and Childhood) project.

One spot urine sample was taken during the third trimester of pregnancy from 120 pregnant women and from 30 4-year old children belonging to 5 Spanish birth cohorts, and analyzed for 11 phthalate metabolites and 9 phenols.

Three metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate, mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl phthalate, and mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl phthalate; two metabolites of dibutyl phthalates, mono-isobutyl phthalate and mono-n-butyl phthalate; monoethyl phthalate (MEP), the main metabolite of diethyl phthalate; and two phenols, methyl paraben (M-PB) and 2,5-dichlorophenol were detected in the urine samples of all women. The highest urinary concentrations were for MEP and M-PB. Urinary concentrations of all phthalate metabolites and of 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,5-dichlorophenol, and bisphenol A were lower in the pregnant women than in the children. Among women, a positive relationship with social class and education was shown for most of the phthalate metabolites and phenols. Almost all phthalate metabolites varied by region even after adjusting for social class and education.

Phthalate and phenol exposures are prevalent in a group of pregnant women and young children, two susceptible populations, and these exposures might be positively related to social class.

Abstract  The ongoing health debate about polymer plasticizers based on the esters of phthalic acid, especially di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), has caused a trend towards using phthalates of lower volatility such as diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and towards other acid esters, such as adipates, terephthalates, citrates, etc. Probably the most important of these so-called "alternative" plasticizers is diisononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH). In the indoor environment, the continuously growing market share of this compound since its launch in 2002 is inter alia apparent from the increasing concentration of DINCH in settled house dust. From the epidemiological point of view there is considerable interest in identifying how semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) distribute in the indoor environment, especially in air, airborne particles and sedimented house dust. This, however, requires reliable experimental concentration data for the different media and good measurements or estimates of their physical and chemical properties. This paper reports on air concentrations for DINP, DINCH, diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), diisobutyl adipate (DIBA), diisobutyl succinate (DIBS) and diisobutyl glutarate (DIBG) from emission studies in the Field and Laboratory Emission Cell (FLEC). For DINP and DINCH it took about 50 days to reach the steady-state value: for four months no decay in the concentration could be observed. Moreover, vapor pressures p(0) and octanol-air partitioning coefficients K(OA) were obtained for 37 phthalate and non-phthalate plasticizers from two different algorithms: EPI Suite and SPARC. It is shown that calculated gas/particle partition coefficients K(p) and fractions can widely differ due to the uncertainty in the predicted p(0) and K(OA) values. For most of the investigated compounds reliable experimental vapor pressures are not available. Rough estimates can be obtained from the measured emission rate of the pure compound in a microchamber as is shown for di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate(DEHA), tri(octyl) trimellitate (TOTM) and DEHP.

Abstract  Several phthalate esters have been linked to the Phthalate Syndrome, affecting male reproductive development when administered to pregnant rats during in utero sexual differentiation. The goal of the current study was to enhance understanding of this class of compounds in the Sprague Dawley (SD) fetal rat following exposure on gestational days (GDs) 14-18 by determining the relative potency factors for several phthalates on fetal testes endpoints, the effects of a nine phthalate mixture on fetal testosterone (T) production, and differences in SD and Wistar (W) strain responses of fetal T production and testicular gene expression to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). We determined that diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and diisoheptyl phthalate (DIHP) reduced fetal testicular T production with similar potency to DEHP, whereas diisononyl phthalate (DINP) was 2.3-fold less potent. DINP was also less potent at reducing StAR and Cyp11a gene expression levels, whereas DIBP was slightly more potent than DEHP. We observed that administration of dilutions of a mixture of nine phthalates (DEHP, DIHP, DIBP, dibutyl-, benzyl butyl-, dicyclohexyl-, diheptyl-, dihexyl-, and dipentyl phthalate) reduced fetal T production in a dose-dependent manner best predicted by dose addition. Finally, we found that the differential effects of in utero DEHP treatment on epididymal and gubernacular differentiation in male SD and W rats (0, 100, 300, 500, 625, 750, or 875 mg DEHP/kg/day) are likely due to tissue-specific strain differences in the androgen and insl3 signaling pathways rather than differential effects of DEHP on fetal testis T and insl3 production.

Abstract  To investigate the oxidative damage of mice induced by diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) and the mechanism of free radical oxidative damage caused by DiBP.

Sixty KunMing mice were divided by weight into 5 groups after accommodation to the experimental animal room for 3 days. The control group and 4 DiBP groups, group I, II, III and IV, were given DiBP in corn oil by gavages at the dosage of 0, 50, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg respectively. The mice were fed with normal diets and drinking water freely for 8 weeks. By the end of the experiment, the comet assay of blood and SOD, GSH-Px, MDA and 8-OHdG of liver were tested.

The activities of SOD and GSH-Px in DiBP groups were significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.05); the MDA contents of DiBP group III and group IV were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.05) and the 8-OHdG content of group II was significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.01). The comet assay showed that the oxidative damage of DNA in DiBP groups was significant in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05).

Oxidative stress induced by diisobutyl phthalate can decrease the activities of antioxidative enzymes and result in oxidative damage of tissues.

Abstract  The contamination of infant food with substances from its packaging due to migration processes is still a problem. Most recently, great attention was paid to the migration of epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) and phthalates from twist-off closures into baby food packed in glass jars. Besides, packaging made of recycled fiber materials such as paper and paperboard were found to be the source of contaminants in dry and powdery foodstuffs such as sugar, rice, and maize flour. In this study 20 infant food samples packed in recycled paperboard containers were tested for phthalates and diisopropyl naphthalenes (DIPN), known incorporated substances in recycled paper. Furthermore, the barrier function of different secondary packaging materials (paper and aluminum-coated foil) was investigated. The highest contents of phthalates (mainly diisobutyl phthalate, DiBP) and DIPN in infant food samples were found for those foods packed in inner bags made of paper. Migration experiments were performed under authentic conditions to evaluate possible transfer mechanism (gas phase, direct contact) of phthalate esters into foodstuff. It is shown that paper does not provide an appropriate barrier against migration of semipolar compounds such as phthalates. The air space itself otherwise effectively prevents migration of the less volatile phthalates under the applied conditions.

Abstract  HEEP COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. Mono-n-butyl, -iso-butyl, -sec-butyl or -tert-butyl esters of o-phthalic acid (industrial solvents and plasticizers) were orally administered at 800 mg/kg body wt per day for 6 days, to young male rats. All of the animals except those treated with the mono-tert-ester developed marked testicular atrophy. Only those isomers producing testicular damage were found to alter Zn metabolism by increasing the urinary excretion of Zn and by depleting the concentration of this element in testicular tissues.

Abstract  Continuous disposal of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) into the environment can lead to serious human health problems and can affect plants and aquatic organisms. The determination of EDCs in water has become an increasingly important activity due to our increased knowledge about their toxicities, even at low concentration. The EDCs in water samples from the reclaimed water plant of Tianjin, northern China, were identified by gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS). Important and contrasting EDCs including estrone (E1), 17 beta-estradiol (E2), 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), 4-nonylphenol (NP), bisphenol A (BPA), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) were selected as the target compounds. Concentrations of steroid hormones, alkylphenolic compounds and phthalates ranged from below the limit of detection (LOD) to 8.1 ng L-1, from < LOD to 14.2 ng L-1, and from 1.00 mu g L-1 to 23.8 mu g L-1, respectively. The average removal efficiencies for target EDCs varied from 30% to 82%. These results indicate that environmental endocrine disrupting compounds are not completely removed during reclaimed water treatment and may be carried over into the general aquatic environment.

Abstract  Part of the Water Environment Federation 1998 Literature Review. A literature review on the effects of pollutants on freshwater organisms is presented. The review is organized by pollutant category and by major receptor.

Abstract  An anaerobic gas production test was used for determining the potential biodegradation of 22 organic chemicals under methanogenic conditions. Nine of the examined chemicals were extensively mineralized ( > 75%) both in sewage sludge and in a freshwater swamp indicating good agreement between biodegradation potentials in these habitats. Samples from a marine sediment showed a less extensive mineralization of most of the test chemicals, and lag periods of several weeks often preceded net gas production. As marine sediments usually contain sulfate at the time of collection, the assessment of biodegradation potentials in such environments is probably more reliable when using a method based on sulfate reduction instead of methanogenic gas production. The results of the tests indicate that the commonly recommended washing of sludge solids can be eliminated by applying a more diluted inoculum.

Abstract  The Xi River (XR) and Pu River (PR) are the tributaries of Hun River Watersheds (HRW), located in Liao River Basin (LRB), northeast China. These riverine waters are historically polluted by effluents from printing and dyeing enterprises, and pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The concentrations of phthalic acid esters (PAEs), e.g., dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), as well as phenols including phenol, 4-methylphenol, 2,3-dimethylphenol, 2,4-dimethylphenol, 3,5-dimethylphenol, 2,4,6-trimethylphenol, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-ethylphenol in surface water of the XR and PR were determined by gas chromatograph (GC) coupled with a mass spectrometer (MS), respectively, during spring (dry), summer (wet) and autumn (normal) seasons. DMP, DIBP, DBP, phenol, 4-methylphenol and 3,5-dimethylphenol were identified as the dominant pollutants in the XR, and DBP, DIBP, DEHP and phenol were the main pollutants in the PR. Seasonal variations of the geometric mean concentrations in the XR ranged from 6.88 to 19.5 mu g/L for Sigma(6)PAEs and 24.5-1195 mu g/L for Sigma(8)phenols with the highest level in summer. The temporal distribution of Sigma(6)PAEs or Sigma(8)-phenols in the PR was similar to that in the XR, i.e. the highest levels were observed in summer (24.1 mu g/L for Sigma(6)PAEs and 26.8 mu g/L for Sigma(8)phenols). The concentrations of pollutants were highly variable across sampling sites. The geographic concentrations of Sigma(6)PAEs were in the range of 9.92-17.9 mu g/L in the XR and 7.42-37.6 mu g/L in the PR. As for Sigma(8)phenols, the greater spatial variations were observed, ranging from 14.0-2008 mu g/L in the XR and from 4.00 to 80.5 mu g/L in the PR. Cluster analysis (CA) showed that the 19 sampling stations were divided into three clusters: cluster A was made up of the majority of sampling sites in the PR, slightly polluted by PAEs and phenols; cluster B consisted of the sites from both the XR and PR; cluster C included the sampling sites in the XR, where was heavily polluted by PAEs and phenols.