Research Progress on Risk Assessment of Emerging Contaminants in Aquatic Environment

Abstract

The rapid industrialization process has brought about explosive growth in the types of chemicals and the widespread and extensive usage of chemicals. These chemicals enter into the aquatic environment with their application in industry and daily life, posing a security threat to natural water bodies and public health. It is necessary and urgent to carry out risk assessment of these new pollutants or micro-pollutants in water. Therefore, this paper reviewed the research progress and development direction of health risk assessment and ecological risk assessment of emerging contaminants in aquatic environment, and prospected the research and application in China. This paper proposes that it is necessary to deeply study the public health effects, environmental effects and migration and transformation characteristics of these emerging contaminants in water, and to understand their toxicological effects, so as to establish a sound risk assessment benchmark and method as soon as possible to help water resources management and water security.