Understanding nonylphenol's aquatic fate: An integrated review of partitioning, natural attenuation, and contribution mechanism.

Nonylphenol (NP), an endocrine-disrupting chemical extensively used in industry, poses significant ecological risks due to its widespread presence in aquatic systems. NP's environmental occurrence and risk requires a comprehensive assessment of its fate, governed by interconnected natural processes (adsorption, photodegradation, mineralization, biodegradation, chemical oxidation, and sedimentation). These processes are driven to varying degrees by various abiotic factors (light, oxygen, organic matter, reactive oxygen species, metals) and microbial communities (bacteria, fungi, microalgae, and their consortia). Distinctively, this review integrates NP's phase partitioning with natural attenuation under environmentally relevant conditions, a contrast to earlier works that often addressed these aspects separately. We summarize the current understanding of NP's environmental fate in global aquatic systems, examining the influence of key drivers on reaction mechanisms and major degradation products. Representative half-lives (t1/2) highlight significant environmental dependencies: 1.31-10.4 days (aerobic), 5.0-38.1 days (anoxic), and 46.2-86.6 days (anaerobic). Based on identified knowledge gaps, we propose future research directions and potential in situ remediation strategies. This comprehensive review enhances our understanding of aquatic self-purification capabilities of emerging contaminants, highlighting critical processes necessary for controlling existing pollution and mitigating associated risks.