Screening level risk assessment for phenols in surface water of three rivers in Tianjin, China

The purpose of this paper was to identify the phenols in surface water of three rivers in Tianjin and assess the ecological risk. Using technology of retention time lock (RTL) and deconvolution reporting software (DRS), a contaminants list including all the phenols which were identified in the samples was obtained and all identified phenols were quantified. The concentration levels of total phenols in three rivers accorded with the patterns that Dagu river>Beitang river>Yongdingxinhe river, and June samples>October samples. Risk quotients (RQ) were used to assess the environmental risk of identified phenols. As a result, 5, 6 and 2 phenols were determined as potential ecological risk stressors in surface water of Beitang river, Dagu river and Yongdingxinhe river, respectively.