Thesis

Assessment of bisphenol A in the marine environment

Creator
Rights statement
Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2014
Thesis identifier
  • T13963
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production volume chemical that is used widely in the production of polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins, flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics, and thermal paper. It is an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) and is considered as an emerging pollutant in the marine environment due mainly to plastic litter. This study developed analytical methodology for the measurement of BPA in marine waters and sediments so that ambient concentrations and the partition coefficients that influence environmental fate and toxicity of BPA in the marine environment could be determined. The experimental partition coefficients (octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow), water solubility (Sw), and sorption capacity (Kd and Koc)) of BPA were affected by water conditions (salinity, pH and temperature). The sorptive process was not affected by only water conditions, but also solid properties (organic carbon (OC) and minerals (silica and calcium)) in the solid samples. The calculation equations to estimate each partition coefficient studied at any specific water conditions were also provided. These equations demonstrate the use of simple and inexpensive proxies (e.g., salinity, pH and temperature) along with the modelling programme EPI Suite™ to assess environmental impacts associated with these partition coefficients. A climate change scenario was used as a case study to illustrate the effects of changing environmental conditions on the behaviour of BPA in the marine environment. The concentrations of BPA were analysed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The extraction and pre-treatment methods to measure BPA in marine samples (seawater and sediments) were developed. For seawater, the extraction methods studied were conventional solid-phase extraction (SPE), dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME), and molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE). The accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) was used to extract BPA from the marine sediment prior to clean-up of the sample with MISPE cartridges, and analysis with HPLC.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Keenan, Helen
Resource Type
DOI
Embargo Note
  • The electronic version of this thesis is currently under moratorium due to copyright restrictions. If you are the author of this thesis, please contact the Library to resolve this issue.

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