The Pollution Status of Emerging Persistent Organic Pollutants in China

Abstract

The article attempts to review the recent research on emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in China, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride/perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS/PFOA), which are newly listed in the Stockholm Convention, as well as Dechlorane Plus and short-chain chlorinated paraffins, which have not been listed in the Convention. Research on PBDEs has been extensively conducted in e-waste dumping sites in Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces, where the PBDE levels in the environmental matrices and human bodies are relatively high. PFOS/PFOA levels are relatively low in environmental matrices and human bodies in China, perhaps because of the lower usage in China compared with North America. The recent studies have indicated the widespread occurrence of PBDEs and perfluorinated compounds in China. Usually, PBDE-209 is the predominant component of PBDEs, and PFOS is the major perfluorinated compounds in environmental samples. Until now, there have been few studies on Dechlorane Plus and short-chain chlorinated paraffin pollution reported in China. Few data are available to understand the long-term temporal variations of the environmental levels of such emerging POPs. More work should be done to strengthen local monitoring capacity for emerging POPs in China to further investigate their pollution status. In conclusion, this article presents for the first time a comprehensive description of emerging POPs pollution status in China and can help guide future studies and management of such compounds.