Besides traditional organophosphate esters: The ecological risks of emerging organophosphate esters in the Yangtze River basin cannot be ignored.

In addition to traditional organophosphate esters (tOPEs), emerging organophosphate esters (eOPEs) have increasingly been detected in the environment, but their risks remain unclear. This study detected 12 tOPEs and 7 eOPEs in surface water, sediment, and suspended particulate matter (SPM) samples from important aquatic habitats and drinking water sources in Yibin (YB), Yichang (YC), Shanghai (SH), and Poyang Lake (PY) within the Yangtze River basin. The total concentration of OPEs (ΣOPEs) in surface water, sediment, and SPM from these four regions were 22.86-1398 ng/L, 2.39-75.96 ng/g dw, and 2.73-1588 ng/g dw, respectively. All eOPEs were detected in the collected samples, with tetrakis (2-chloroethyl)dichloroisopentyl diphosphate (V6), cresyl diphenyl phosphate (CDPP), resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) (RDP), and bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) (BDP) being the dominant compounds. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity were identified as important factors influencing the occurrence and distribution of OPEs in water. Source identification revealed that OPEs in PY mainly originated from wastewater treatment plant discharges and traffic-related emissions. It is noteworthy that although the average concentration of ΣtOPEs in water (213.02 ng/L) was over two orders of magnitude higher than that of ΣeOPEs (0.81 ng/L), eOPEs posed medium to high ecological risks to algae, crustacean, and fish, especially BDP and RDP. For instance, at locations where BDP was detected, it caused medium to high ecological risks to aquatic organisms across three trophic levels [risk quotient (RQ): 0.14-7.71]. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of OPEs to human health were negligible. This study provides a scientific basis for the precise identification and scientific management of the environmental risks of eOPEs.