Preliminary detection of bisphenol A and 4-nitrophenol in PM2.5 in urban areas of Hanoi, Vietnam

Abstract

PM_2.5 pollution in urban air environments in Vietnam is a matter of concern due to its adverse impacts on the environment and human health. The increasing occurrence of new and difficult-to-detect pollutants in the environmental matrices is becoming a threat to the community. In this study, endocrine disruptors (bisphenol A - BPA and 4-nitrophenol - 4NP) were initially analysed in PM_2.5 using a gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC/MS) instrument. The results showed that BPA and 4NP were detected in 96.4 and 100% of PM2.5 samples collected from two urban areas of Hanoi, respectively, with concentrations ranging from 0.22 to 3.92 ng/m³ (median: 0.72 ng/m³) and from 0.94 to 7.34 ng/m³ (median: 3.09 ng/m³). The median concentration of 4NP was 4.3 times higher than that of BPA; however, there was no significant variation in the concentrations of BPA and 4NP in PM_2.5 between daytime and night-time at both studied locations. This preliminary study provides valuable information on the current status of endocrine disruptors in PM_2.5, which serves as a basis for environmental managers to propose solutions to minimise their release and improve the management of toxic pollutants.