Spatial distribution of phthalate acid esters in sediments and its relationships with anthropogenic activities and environmental variables of the Jiaozhou Bay

The spatial distribution of phthalate acid esters (PAEs) in sediments of the Jiaozhou Bay and its relationships with anthropogenic activities and environmental variables were investigated in this work. Thirteen PAEs were prevalent in sediments and the total PAE concentrations ranged from 462.1 to 15,133.2 μg/kg. The PAE concentrations increased northeastward and northwestward from the bay mouth in saddle shapes and the highest concentrations were located in the northeastern region according to the spatial distribution patterns generated by geographic information systems. The rivers were the main routes for transporting pollutants into the bay and terrigenous PAEs diluted offshore, so the PAE distribution in sediments was originated from anthropogenic activity intensity. There were strong positive correlations among PAEs with each other, except for di-n-octyl phthalate, and the average residence time (ART) exerted a significant positive impact on the PAE concentrations by Pearson correlation and redundancy analysis. The dibutyl phthalate and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate had high risks to organisms in the northeast and west regions according to the environmental risk limits and risk quotients. The results might provide new insights into the PAE researches and supply information for environmental management and remediation. [Display omitted] •PAEs increased northeastward and northwestward from the bay mouth in saddle shapes.•Anthropogenic activities and average residence time were the dominant factors.•The rivers were the main routes to transport PAEs and PAEs diluted offshore.•DBP, DEHP and DIBP had high risks to organisms in the northeast and west regions.