Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate threats to surface waters at the national scale: A neglected traditional pollutant

Freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem services might decline due to exposure to chemicals. However, researchers have devoted much attention to the potential risks of emerging contaminants, while placing less effort on historical pollutants, such as the surfactant, linear-alkylbenzene-sulfonate (LAS), which is a major component of widely used synthetic detergents worldwide. In this study, a multilevel risk assessment approach was used to assess risks posed by LAS to aquatic organisms, on a wide spatial scale, based on various assessment endpoints. Additionally, bottom-up approaches were used to assess contributions of LAS source discharges to aquatic environments. Concentrations of LAS in surface waters of China ranged from less than the limit of detection to 14,200 μg/L. The predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) based on adverse effects on reproduction is 15 μg/L, which is slightly less than the PNEC based on other endpoints. 99% of surface waters in Chaohu Lake and the Hai River (Ch: Haihe) were predicted to pose a risk to growth of aquatic organisms, with a protection threshold of 5% of species (HC₅). Discharges of LAS were estimated using activity data and emission factors for 280 major cities in the basin. Rural domestic sources were the main source of LAS to surface waters. These outcomes provided a process for developing comprehensive management and control approaches to help researchers and policymakers effectively manage water resources affected by increasing concentrations of LAS.