Seasonal fluctuations in phthalates’ contamination in pond water: A case study

Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, reported to cause deformities and reproductive damages in animals. Numerous studies reported the presence of phthalates in water samples of rivers, wetlands, and estuaries, while the scenario in case of ponds is different, however they are reported as an integral part of biosphere. In this study, the level of phthalates’ contamination in the water samples collected from the different ponds of Amritsar district for four consecutive seasons in two years was analysed. The maximal level of phthalate contamination was found in samples collected during the monsoon season (July 2015) of first year of sampling followed by post-monsoon (October 2015) and winter season (January 2016). S8 sampling site was found to be the most phthalate contaminated site followed by S1=S11>S2=S9=S4=S5=S7>S6=S3>S10. Benzyl butyl phthalate was most abundant (found in 32% water samples) followed by di-n-butyl and dimethyl phthalate, while diallyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate were not detected. The two main drivers for these seasonal variations were observed to be temperature and precipitation. Hence, this data will be useful to explain the temporal and spatial distributions of phthalates in aquatic ecosystem, as well as to devise cost-effective ways to reduce their ecological footprints.