Phthalate esters in water and sediments of the Kaveri River, India: environmental levels and ecotoxicological evaluations.

Phthalate esters are well known for their environmental contamination and toxicological effects as "endocrine disruptors." In this study, environmental levels of phthalate esters and ecotoxicological risk assessments were performed in one of the major rivers in India, the Kaveri. Water and sediment samples were collected during 2010-2012 representing the major stretch of the river and extracted by solid-phase and ultrasonic methods, respectively, and analyzed for six major phthalates by using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer.