Concerns over several groups of emerging persistent toxic substances (PTS) have been growing in China, particularly the South China coastal region, which has been undergoing significant modifications due to rapid economic growth and industrialization in the past decades. It is conceivable that huge amounts of PTS, such as halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), have been released and enter the marine environment. In addition, these recalcitrant chemicals are receiving wide attention due to their potential adverse effects on animals and humans at relatively low levels of exposure. Although HFRs and PFASs have attracted wide attention as global environmental contaminants, there are still considerable data gaps in our understanding of the environmental fate and risks of these emerging PTS. Therefore, a series of studies were carried out in order to identify and quantify their environmental sources, presence and magnitude in aquatic environment, and then to assess their potential impact on aquatic organisms such as marine mammals, waterbirds and corals. This study aims to provide an overview on the current status and trends of these emerging PTS in South China coastal environment and the results also could help better understand the risks of some important but understudied chemical contaminants in the environment of China.
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