Distribution and bioconcentration of endocrine disrupting chemicals in surface water and fish bile of the Pearl River Delta, South China

•The bioconcentration and potential effect of EDCs in the PRD were investigated.•The E2 activity equivalents suggest high risks in the investigated water.•Occurrence of EDCs in fish bile can reflect that in ambient water.•The investigated wild carp and algae can bioaccumulate phenolic EDCs.

The distribution and bioconcentration of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in water, algae, and wild carp bile of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China were investigated. 4-tert octylphenol (OP), 4-nonylphenol (NP), and bisphenol A (BPA) (unit, ng L−1) in water were in the ranges of 1-14, 117-865, and 4-377, those (ng g−1 dry weight) in algae were in the ranges of 2-13, 53-282, and 16-94, and those (ng g−1) in carp bile were in the ranges of 14-39, 950-4648, 70-1020, respectively. Estrone (E1) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in water ranged from