Personal Care Products in the Aquatic Environment in China

Abstract

Personal care products (PCPs) are a group of emerging contaminants which showed potential adverse effect on the environment and human health. In China, the production and consumption of PCPs continued a rapid growth because of the rapid economic growth and prosperity, which might lead to large ranges and quantities of PCPs releasing into the environment. Great concerns have been raised on the PCPs in the aquatic environment in China. So far, existing field studies have provided basic information on the occurrence and distribution of PCPs in the surface water, sewage water, sludge, and sediment. This chapter summarizes four major classes of PCPs in the aquatic environment in mainland China, including the antimicrobial agents, synthetic musks, UV filters, and preservatives. Generally, the PCP levels in China were comparable to the global levels. Seasonal and spatial variation of PCPs in the aquatic environment was observed. There are clear regional biases in the knowledge of PCPs in China. In the end, the limitations of the investigation are discussed, and the implications for future studies are proposed.