The occurrence of thirty-one selected endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and
pharmaceuticals/personal care products (PPCPs) in Korean surface waters was investigated.
Samples were collected from upstream/downstream and effluent-dominated creeks along the Han
River, Seoul, South Korea, and analyzed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass
spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure
chemical ionization (APCI). Most target compounds were detected in both the Han River
samples (over 60%) and the effluent-dominated creek samples (over 75%). Iopromide, atenolol,
TCPP, TECP, musk ketone, naproxen, DEET, carbamazepine, caffeine, and benzophenone were
frequently detected in both river and creek samples, although the mean concentrations in
effluent-dominated creek samples (< 3745 ng/L) were significantly higher than those in river
samples (< 1013 ng/L). However, the steroid hormones 17ß-estradiol, 17a-ethynylestradiol,
progesterone, and testosterone, were not detected (< 1 ng/L) in both the river and creek samples.
Numerous target compounds were found to be positively correlated (over
0.8) to the conventional water quality parameters (chemical oxygen demand, biochemical
oxygen demand, dissolved organic carbon, and ultraviolet absorbance). Results of this study
provide increasing evidence that certain EDCs and PPCPs commonly occur in the Han River as
the result of wastewater outfalls. Includes 35 references, tables, figures.