Bisphenol analogues (BPs) are widely used in the production of epoxy resins and poly carbonate plastics. In recent years, the demand and production capacity of BPs are growing rapidly. The occurrence of BPs other than bisphenol A (BPA) in Buriganga River water system and sediment is largely unreported. This study assesses the seasonal occurrence and spatial distribution of four bisphenol analogues bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol E (BPE), bisphenol AF (BPAF), and bisphenol F (BPF) in water and sediment samples from ten riverine sites and quantification was performed via GC–MS. In water, rainy-season’s mean concentrations reached 3.74 μg/L for BPAF and 3.06 μg/L for BPF, while BPB and BPE remained below 1.2 μg/L. Winter levels more than doubled, peaking at 7.11 μg/L for BPF and 6.89 μg/L for BPAF, with BPB and BPE rising to 4.94 μg/L and 4.53 μg/L, respectively. Broader winter ranges (e.g., BPF 3.37–13.7 μg/L) indicate enhanced mobilization and accumulation under low flow conditions. Sediment analysis revealed mean concentrations of 64.9 μg/g (BPF), 54.2 μg/g (BPE), 45.0 μg/g (BPAF), and 24.6 μg/g (BPB), with maximum values reaching up to 159.9 μg/g, highlighting localized hotspots. Proportional composition shifted from BPAF dominance in the rainy season to BPF prevalence in winter, while sediments consistently followed the hierarchy BPF > BPE > BPAF > BPB. BPs in water exhibited significant and strong positive correlations, whereas sediment bisphenols showed no significant links. This study could be a wake-up call for the scientific community and policymakers to consider remedial measures.
Tasneem et al. (Sun,) studied this question.