title: A review of environmental and human exposure to persistent organic pollutants in the Pearl River Delta, South China.
abstract: Rapid economic growth in South China (including Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, and Macau), particularly within the Pearl River Delta region, has resulted in severe pollution of the natural eco-environment in the last three decades. Large amounts of monitoring data on organic pollution in the Pearl River Delta have been accumulated, which allows us to conduct a fairly comprehensive assessment of the state of the Pearl River Delta and elucidate spatial and temporal patterns of pollution on a regional scale. Of various causes for environmental deterioration, negative impact from persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is a global concern. This review examines the current levels and distribution patterns of several POPs, namely DDT (and its metabolites DDD and DDE), hexachlorocyclohexanes, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, in various environmental compartments of South China. The general information on environmental occurrence, regional behaviors, ecological effects, and human exposure of these POPs in this region are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Eddy Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003634:DDT / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D003634:DDT