Occurrence and distribution of phthalate esters in stormwater runoff and coastal water receiving bodies, Macao, South China

Yutang Luo; Tianyi Zhang; Yaru Cao; Qiying Jian; Aolei Du; Jun Yan; Yanjun Li; Youxiang Xu; Guoyuan Zhu; Xiong Xiong; Chenxi Wu; Kai Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127742

Occurrence and distribution of phthalate esters in stormwater runoff and coastal water receiving bodies, Macao, South China

Yutang Luo
, Tianyi Zhang
, Yaru Cao
, Qiying Jian
, Aolei Du
, Jun Yan
, Yanjun Li
, Youxiang Xu
, Guoyuan Zhu
, Xiong Xiong
, Chenxi Wu
, Kai Zhang^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Urban stormwater runoff is a major pathway for anthropogenic pollutants into aquatic ecosystems. Phthalate esters (PAEs), widely produced endocrine-disrupting plasticizers, readily enter the environment; however, their transport via stormwater and contribution to nearshore marine pollution remain largely overlooked. The stormwater system of Macao discharges directly to the sea, representing a potentially significant PAE pathway, yet systematic investigations on PAEs pollution in its aquatic environment are lacking. This study conducted the first comprehensive investigation on the occurrence and distribution of 16 PAEs congeners in six stormwater drainage channels (covering residential, industrial, and ecological functional zones) and four seawater sampling sites in Macao using GC-MS, aiming to characterize PAEs pollution, identify sources, and estimate annual fluxes. Results showed widespread PAEs contamination: Σ₁₆PAEs in stormwater ranged from 1.51 × 10²–3.35 × 10⁴ ng/L (0.152–33.5 μg/L), and 89.1–858 ng/L in seawater. High levels of dimethoxyethyl phthalate (DMEP) were detected, revealing unique local pollution characteristics. Among stormwater sites, Σ₁₆PAEs loads were significantly higher in residential/industrial areas than ecological areas, with distinct seasonal variations. Linear correlations between some stormwater and seawater PAEs concentrations may imply a potential source-sink relationship. Principal component analysis indicated non-point sources primarily from residential and industrial discharges. Importantly, pumping stations were innovatively identified as key dry-season PAEs sources. The annual average Σ₁₆PAEs input from the stormwater system of Macao to nearshore waters was 4.31 × 10⁻³–9.5 kg. As the first systematic report on aquatic PAEs pollution of Macao, these findings fill the regional research gap, support targeted dry/wet season control measures, and provide a reference for small coastal cities. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd

Original language	English
Article number	127742
Number of pages	10
Journal	Environmental Pollution
Volume	394
Online published	28 Jan 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127742
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2026

Funding

This study was financially supported by the Science and Technology Development Fund , Macao SAR ( 0009/2025/AIJ , 0008/2024/EIA1 , 0001/2024/NRP , 0155/2024/RIA2 ). CORE is a joint research center for ocean research between Laoshan Laboratory and HKUST. We thank the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) of the Macao SAR for their support in facilitating our fieldwork, and the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) for access to weather data.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 14 Life Below Water

Research Keywords

Macao
Phthalate esters
Pollution characteristics
Source-sink
Urban stormwater runoff

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10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127742

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@article{c995f427730547fc91d376bde6ad71dd,

title = "Occurrence and distribution of phthalate esters in stormwater runoff and coastal water receiving bodies, Macao, South China",

abstract = "Urban stormwater runoff is a major pathway for anthropogenic pollutants into aquatic ecosystems. Phthalate esters (PAEs), widely produced endocrine-disrupting plasticizers, readily enter the environment; however, their transport via stormwater and contribution to nearshore marine pollution remain largely overlooked. The stormwater system of Macao discharges directly to the sea, representing a potentially significant PAE pathway, yet systematic investigations on PAEs pollution in its aquatic environment are lacking. This study conducted the first comprehensive investigation on the occurrence and distribution of 16 PAEs congeners in six stormwater drainage channels (covering residential, industrial, and ecological functional zones) and four seawater sampling sites in Macao using GC-MS, aiming to characterize PAEs pollution, identify sources, and estimate annual fluxes. Results showed widespread PAEs contamination: Σ16PAEs in stormwater ranged from 1.51 × 102–3.35 × 104 ng/L (0.152–33.5 μg/L), and 89.1–858 ng/L in seawater. High levels of dimethoxyethyl phthalate (DMEP) were detected, revealing unique local pollution characteristics. Among stormwater sites, Σ16PAEs loads were significantly higher in residential/industrial areas than ecological areas, with distinct seasonal variations. Linear correlations between some stormwater and seawater PAEs concentrations may imply a potential source-sink relationship. Principal component analysis indicated non-point sources primarily from residential and industrial discharges. Importantly, pumping stations were innovatively identified as key dry-season PAEs sources. The annual average Σ16PAEs input from the stormwater system of Macao to nearshore waters was 4.31 × 10−3–9.5 kg. As the first systematic report on aquatic PAEs pollution of Macao, these findings fill the regional research gap, support targeted dry/wet season control measures, and provide a reference for small coastal cities. {\textcopyright} 2026 Elsevier Ltd",

keywords = "Macao, Phthalate esters, Pollution characteristics, Source-sink, Urban stormwater runoff",

author = "Yutang Luo and Tianyi Zhang and Yaru Cao and Qiying Jian and Aolei Du and Jun Yan and Yanjun Li and Youxiang Xu and Guoyuan Zhu and Xiong Xiong and Chenxi Wu and Kai Zhang",

year = "2026",

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doi = "10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127742",

language = "English",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Occurrence and distribution of phthalate esters in stormwater runoff and coastal water receiving bodies, Macao, South China

AU - Luo, Yutang

AU - Zhang, Tianyi

AU - Cao, Yaru

AU - Jian, Qiying

AU - Du, Aolei

AU - Yan, Jun

AU - Li, Yanjun

AU - Xu, Youxiang

AU - Zhu, Guoyuan

AU - Xiong, Xiong

AU - Wu, Chenxi

AU - Zhang, Kai

PY - 2026/4/1

Y1 - 2026/4/1

N2 - Urban stormwater runoff is a major pathway for anthropogenic pollutants into aquatic ecosystems. Phthalate esters (PAEs), widely produced endocrine-disrupting plasticizers, readily enter the environment; however, their transport via stormwater and contribution to nearshore marine pollution remain largely overlooked. The stormwater system of Macao discharges directly to the sea, representing a potentially significant PAE pathway, yet systematic investigations on PAEs pollution in its aquatic environment are lacking. This study conducted the first comprehensive investigation on the occurrence and distribution of 16 PAEs congeners in six stormwater drainage channels (covering residential, industrial, and ecological functional zones) and four seawater sampling sites in Macao using GC-MS, aiming to characterize PAEs pollution, identify sources, and estimate annual fluxes. Results showed widespread PAEs contamination: Σ16PAEs in stormwater ranged from 1.51 × 102–3.35 × 104 ng/L (0.152–33.5 μg/L), and 89.1–858 ng/L in seawater. High levels of dimethoxyethyl phthalate (DMEP) were detected, revealing unique local pollution characteristics. Among stormwater sites, Σ16PAEs loads were significantly higher in residential/industrial areas than ecological areas, with distinct seasonal variations. Linear correlations between some stormwater and seawater PAEs concentrations may imply a potential source-sink relationship. Principal component analysis indicated non-point sources primarily from residential and industrial discharges. Importantly, pumping stations were innovatively identified as key dry-season PAEs sources. The annual average Σ16PAEs input from the stormwater system of Macao to nearshore waters was 4.31 × 10−3–9.5 kg. As the first systematic report on aquatic PAEs pollution of Macao, these findings fill the regional research gap, support targeted dry/wet season control measures, and provide a reference for small coastal cities. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd

AB - Urban stormwater runoff is a major pathway for anthropogenic pollutants into aquatic ecosystems. Phthalate esters (PAEs), widely produced endocrine-disrupting plasticizers, readily enter the environment; however, their transport via stormwater and contribution to nearshore marine pollution remain largely overlooked. The stormwater system of Macao discharges directly to the sea, representing a potentially significant PAE pathway, yet systematic investigations on PAEs pollution in its aquatic environment are lacking. This study conducted the first comprehensive investigation on the occurrence and distribution of 16 PAEs congeners in six stormwater drainage channels (covering residential, industrial, and ecological functional zones) and four seawater sampling sites in Macao using GC-MS, aiming to characterize PAEs pollution, identify sources, and estimate annual fluxes. Results showed widespread PAEs contamination: Σ16PAEs in stormwater ranged from 1.51 × 102–3.35 × 104 ng/L (0.152–33.5 μg/L), and 89.1–858 ng/L in seawater. High levels of dimethoxyethyl phthalate (DMEP) were detected, revealing unique local pollution characteristics. Among stormwater sites, Σ16PAEs loads were significantly higher in residential/industrial areas than ecological areas, with distinct seasonal variations. Linear correlations between some stormwater and seawater PAEs concentrations may imply a potential source-sink relationship. Principal component analysis indicated non-point sources primarily from residential and industrial discharges. Importantly, pumping stations were innovatively identified as key dry-season PAEs sources. The annual average Σ16PAEs input from the stormwater system of Macao to nearshore waters was 4.31 × 10−3–9.5 kg. As the first systematic report on aquatic PAEs pollution of Macao, these findings fill the regional research gap, support targeted dry/wet season control measures, and provide a reference for small coastal cities. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd

KW - Macao

KW - Phthalate esters

KW - Pollution characteristics

KW - Source-sink

KW - Urban stormwater runoff

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105028870777

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105028870777&origin=recordpage

U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127742

DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127742

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

C2 - 41617046

SN - 0269-7491

VL - 394

JO - Environmental Pollution

JF - Environmental Pollution

M1 - 127742

ER -

Occurrence and distribution of phthalate esters in stormwater runoff and coastal water receiving bodies, Macao, South China

Abstract

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