Seventy-five polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) were detected in sediments, river water (dissolved phase and suspended particulate matter, SPM), and riparian soils along the coal-impacted Huai River, China. Mean Sigma PAC concentrations were 77 +/- 43 ng/L in the dissolved phase, 200 +/- 150 ng/L in SPM, 4000 +/- 13,000 ng/g in sediments, and 5100 +/- 12,000 ng/g in riparian soils. Priority PAHs (PriPAHs) dominated across compartments, while alkylated naphthalenes and perylene were also notable. Toxicity assessment showed that 5-6 ring PACs dominated Sigma PAC toxicity, implying that Sigma PriPAHs alone may underestimate total toxicity by excluding alkylated 5-6 ring PACs and nonpriority PAHs. Spatial patterns and compositional fingerprints suggested that coal-related activities increased PAC concentrations without clearly altering relative profiles. Diagnostic ratios, alkyl-to-parent relationships, and fugacity analysis indicated that sediments are a key secondary source, releasing PACs through fugacity-driven diffusive exchange and resuspension, while resuspended SPM may further sustain dissolved PACs via desorption. Source apportionment suggested combustion dominance in soils, sediments, and SPM, whereas dissolved PACs also reflected noncombustion inputs, such as fossil-fuel leakage. Based on river discharge, the annual downstream flux of PACs was estimated at similar to 7.8 t.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PACs) can be secondarily transformed through photochemical reactions into nitrated and oxygenated derivatives (N-/O-PACs), which are often more toxic than their parent compounds. However, the conversion mechanism over marine boundary layer (MBL) is still unclear. Here, air samples were collected in MBL of the climate-sensitive regions (Southern Ocean, SO), and N-/O-PACs were determined in both the gas phase and total suspended particles (TSP). The results showed stronger photochemical formation trends of N-/O-PACs in TSP than in the gas phase, highlighting the dominant role of heterogeneous processes in photochemical formation. In the gas phase, O-PACs exhibited higher formation trends than N-PACs, whereas N-PACs more often exceeded O-PACs in TSP. A generalized additive model was further applied to examine their photochemical formation trends and identify the major environmental controls. Wet deposition capacity of atmospheric was identified as an important factor affecting the gas phase photochemical dependence. In contrast, OH radical intensity and radiation flux played dominant roles in the N-/O-PACs formation in TSP. The model results further indicated that the formation of N-/O-PACs was only weakly correlated with NO2, suggesting that NO2-initiated atmospheric oxidation was relatively weak in SO, whereas other oxidation pathways were dominant.

Although the bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been extensively studied, there is no consensus on their trophic transfer in freshwater food webs. More importantly, data on bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of PAH derivatives remain scarce. To fill this knowledge gap, 79 polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), including PAHs, alkylated PAHs (Alk-PAHs), oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs), and heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs), were quantified in 19 aquatic species from Lake Chaohu, China. Total concentrations of PACs ranged from 2.2 to 47 ng g-1 wet weight (median: 15 ng g-1). Notably, unlike lake sediments, Alk-PAHs replaced PAHs as the predominant component in organisms, demonstrating their strong bioaccumulation. Biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) further indicated that methylation likely enhances the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of anthracene, phenanthrene, benzo[a]anthracene, and benzo[c]phenanthrene. In addition, ontogenetic shifts in diet and metabolism during growth also appeared to affect Alk-PAHs burdens in C. alburnus, H. molitrix, and C. carpio. Trophic magnification factors (TMFs) for PACs varied from 0.50 to 2.1. A comparison with data from a 2010 survey revealed a shift in trophic transfer of priority PAHs, from dominated-biodilution toward more frequent occurrences of TMFs > 1. Importantly, several PAH derivatives, including dibenzothiophene, 2-methylnaphthalene, 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, 1,5-dimethylnaphthalene, 2-methylbenzo[c]phenanthrene, 9,10-anthraquinone, 9-fluorenone, and 6,8-dimethylbenzo[a]anthracene displayed higher TMFs than their corresponding parent PAHs or analogs, highlighting the necessity of enhancing the priority of their monitoring.

The concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) and the associated pollution risk and dietary exposure risk were assessed by collecting 154 soil samples and 6 food types from the Xianyushan area. The concentrations of Zn, Cd, and As in the soil were 1.2, 3.4, and 2.8 times the background values, and the percentages of samples exceeding the background value were 47%, 65%, and 96%, respectively. Concentrations of Cd, Cr, and As exhibited significant variations among the three land use types, which were potentially attributed to soil properties, agricultural amendments, and other contributing factors. Based on the integrated results from spatial distribution analysis, correlation analysis (CA), and principal component analysis (PCA), it can be inferred that these HMs mainly originated from soil parent materials. Pollution risk assessment indicated that Cd and As were the dominating soil pollutants. Although HM levels in different food types were lower than the limit defined in China's national food safety standards, the total estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of Cd and As exceeded permissible tolerable daily intake (PTDI) values as well as reference doses (RfD). The target hazard quotient (THQ) values indicated that Cd, As, and Hg present lower risks from dietary intake compared to other HMs, especially, since cereals present a high risk of HM intake and need further attention.

Synthetic antioxidants (SAs), a group of emerging contaminants, have attracted great attention recently due to their widespread environmental occurrence and potential toxicity. Yet, there is a knowledge gap regarding their occurrence and associated infant exposure in baby wipes, one of the most frequently used baby products. Here, we analyzed SAs-including synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs) and organophosphite antioxidants (OPAs)-along with their transformation products in baby wipes. Eleven SPAs and five OPAs were detected in baby wipes from different countries (median total concentration: 3.09 ×103 ng g-1), indicating that SA contamination in baby wipes is a common issue, regardless of the wipe type (non-woven fabric-based and wood pulp-based wipes) and manufacturer. The dominant SAs detected in the samples were pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionate) (AO1010), tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite (TDtBPPi), and TDtBPPi-derived novel organophosphate ester tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate (TDtBPP). Based upon the concentrations detected, the annual uses of SAs in baby wipes worldwide is estimated as 6.7 tons, suggesting that discarded baby wipes can be a source of environmental SAs. While our preliminary exposure assessment indicates that SAs and their transformation products pose low health risks to infants, this work highlights the importance of investigating the occurrence and risks of more emerging contaminants including SAs in baby products.

Transformed from p-phenylenediamines (PPDs) antioxidant, PPD-derived quinones (PPD-Qs) have recently been recognized as emerging contaminants due to their potential negative impacts on the environment and human health. While there have been measurements of airborne PPD-Qs, the size distribution of PPD-Qs and the impact of particle size on PPD transformation chemistry remain largely unknown. Here, through the measurements of atmospheric particles in three megacities in China (Beijing, Xi'an, and Hefei), we find that PPD-Qs are widely distributed in these cities. Further analysis of the size-fractioned particles in Hefei indicates that 48 % of PPD-Qs reside in coarse particles. Given that previous studies mainly focus on the measurement of PPD-Qs in fine particles, the previously reported PPD-Q concentrations and the corresponding human exposure dosages are likely to be significantly underestimated. Furthermore, the ratio of PPD-Q to PPD concentration (PPD-Q/PPD) for particles with size range of 0.056 - 0.1 μm is up to 3 times higher than that with size range of 10 - 18 μm, highlighting the key role of particle size in determining the atmospheric oxidation reactivity of PPDs. Model simulations reveal a size-dependent pattern for the estimated concentration of particulate PPD-Qs in human body. In addition, we also demonstrate that PPD-Qs can induce the formation of cellular reactive oxygen species, suggesting that they may pose risks to human health. Overall, our results emphasize the importance of considering the particle size effect when evaluating the reaction potential and exposure risk of airborne PPD-Qs.

In this study, coal and coal-based solid wastes (coal gangue, fly ash, bottom ash, desulfurized gypsum and tar residue) were collected from major coal mines, power plants and coking plants in Lianghuai mining area (LH), China, and were analyzed for 76 polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), 27 n-alkanes and 2 isoprenoids (phytane and pristane). The total n-alkanes concentrations and ∑76 PACs in raw coals (640 ± 600 and 180 ± 87 μg/g) were higher than those in coal-based solid wastes (47 ± 40 and 24 ± 25 μg/g), but were lower than those in tar residue (3700 and 63,000 μg/g). It was discovered that the depositional paleoenvironment in LH was mostly a lacustrine and freshwater environment with oxidizing conditions and mixed organic matter input, but the Huainan coalfield had stronger oxidizing conditions and more input of terrestrial organic matter than that of the Huaibei coalfield. Alkylated PACs made up 56 ± 12 % of the ∑76PACs in raw coals, whereas solid wastes mainly consisted of 16 EPA PAHs (66 ± 16 %). Coal combustion and gangue weathering altered the structural properties of n-alkanes and PACs, resulting in a significant loss of n-alkanes and PACs, a higher proportion of parent PACs, and an increased abundance of short n-alkanes in the products (No apparent change of n-alkanes composition was observed through gangue weathering). The toxicity of PACs in raw coal and its solid wastes in LH from high to low was tar residue, raw coal, coal gangue, and coal-fired products. This investigation further confirmed that traditional diagnostic ratios may distort source information, and that they should not be used to assess PACs sources from raw coal particles or coal gangues, but rather to identify combustion sources near the point source. In addition, Retene/(Retene + Chrysene) < 0.03 may indicate direct contamination of raw coal particles.

PPDs and their oxidation products, PPD-Qs, are emerging environmental contaminants arising from the addition and oxidation of rubber products. Although numerous studies have been conducted to elucidate their risks, the primary focus has been on 6PPD and 6PPD-Q, with limited attention given to other PPDs and especially other PPD-Qs. This study comprehensively examines the occurrences of frequently used PPDs and their degradation products, PPD-Qs, in human urine and breast milk samples. The average concentrations of ΣPPDs and ΣPPD-Qs in urine were 27 ± 78 ng/mL and 16 ± 12 ng/mL, respectively. IPPD and DNPD were the predominant PPDs, while DPPD-Q, CPPD-Q, and IPPD-Q were the predominant PPD-Qs. Notably, the concentrations of 6PPD, CPPD, and DPPD were significantly lower than their oxidized quinone products. Weak or no correlations were observed between most PPDs and their corresponding PPD-Qs, suggesting that PPD-Qs in the human body are primarily derived from direct environmental intake rather than in vivo conversion of PPDs. PPDs and PPD-Qs were widely detected in breast milk, exhibiting concentrations and patterns similar to those found in urine, with comparable major pollutants. Estimated daily intakes of PPDs + PPD-Qs for infants were several μg/(kg·day), with the 95th percentile intake approaching 10 μg/(kg·day).

Monitoring only 16 priority PAHs (Pri-PAHs) may greatly underestimate the pollutant load and toxicity of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in aquatic environments. There is an urgent need to reevaluate the list of priority PACs. To determine which PACs deserve priority monitoring, the occurrence, sources, and toxicity of 78 PACs, including 24 parent PAHs (Par-PAHs), 49 alkylated PAHs (Alk-PAHs), 3 oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs), carbazole, and dibenzothiophene were investigated for the first time in Lake Chaohu sediments, China. Concentrations of ∑Par-PAHs, ∑Alk-PAHs, and ∑OPAHs ranged from 35 to 165, 3.4–26, and 7.7–26 ng g−1, respectively. Concentrations of 16 Pri-PAHs have decreased by 1–2 orders of magnitude compared to a decade ago, owing to the effective implementation of PAHs emission control measures. Comparisons with the sediment quality guidelines indicated that 16 Pri-PAHs have negligible adverse effects on benthic organisms. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) model results showed that coal combustion was the major source of PACs (accounting for 23.5 %), followed by traffic emissions (23.4 %), petroleum volatilization (21.9 %), wood/biomass combustion (18.2 %), and biological/microbial transformation (13.1 %). The toxicity of PACs was assessed by calculating the BaP toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQBaP) and toxic units. It was found that Par-PAHs were the predominant toxic substances. In addition, monomethyl-BaPs, OPAHs, BeP, and 7,12-DMBaA should be prioritized for monitoring due to their noticeable contributions to overall toxicity. The contributions of different sources to the toxicity of PACs were determined based on PMF model results and TEQBaP values, which revealed that combustion sources mainly contributed to the comprehensive toxicity of PACs in Lake Chaohu sediments.

Are the residues of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in freshwater in China still of concern after prohibition and restriction for decades? The scarcity of monitoring data on OCPs in freshwater in China over the past few years has hampered understanding of this issue. In this study, water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) samples were collected from the middle reach of the Huai River for OCP analyses. Residues of ∑OCPs in water and SPM ranged from ND to 8.6 ng L−1 and 0.50 to 179 ng L−1, with mean concentrations of 1.7 ± 1.3 ng L−1 and 6.1 ± 31 ng L−1, respectively. ∑HCHs (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-HCH) and ∑HEPTs (heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide) were the most predominant pesticides in the dissolved phase and SPM, respectively, accounting for 43 ± 35

In this study, 76 polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) were detected in air, soil, and tree core samples from Huainan, a typical coal-contaminated region of China. Concentrations of ΣPACs in soil and air samples were 2400 ± 5100 ng/g and 150 ± 63 ng/m3, respectively. Priority PAHs were predominant in both air and soil samples, contributing over 50 % of ΣPACs. Source analysis indicated that PAC contamination in Huainan primarily originated from local coal-related activities. The benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQBaP) of PACs in the air samples (5.6 ± 5.3 ng/m3) exceeded the threshold of 1 ng/m3. Some PACs, such as benzo[e]pyrene (BeP) and Alk-BaPs, demonstrated significant toxicity and are recommended for consideration as priority pollutants. The historical pollution trends of atmospheric PACs were obtained based on the tree core samples. PAC concentrations in tree core segments showed a strong correlation with atmospheric PM10 levels in Huainan. As air quality has improved in recent years, the PACs concentrations in tree core segments have also decreased. Historical fluctuations of atmospheric PACs were largely attributed to the changes in the gas treatment systems of a nearby coal-fired power plant and adjustments in environmental policies. By integrating trends observed in tree core segments with air concentrations, the historical atmospheric PAC concentrations were extrapolated. The extrapolated results showed similar concentration levels and trends when compared with historical data from other studies in China. Thus, tree cores can not only reflect the historical trends of atmospheric PACs with high temporal precision but also are feasible for extrapolating historical concentrations of airborne PACs.

To ascertain whether rapid industrialization has affected the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), China, the occurrence and ecological risk of HMs, including Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, As and Hg in sediments were analyzed. The results indicated that total concentrations of HMs (mg kg(-1)) were in the descending sequence of Zn (235.28) > Cr (95.71) > Cu (78.91) > Ni (55.51) > Pb (23.96) > As (22.12) > Cd (0.38) > Hg (0.14). The concentrations of HMs, except for Ni and Cd, were found to be below the probable effect level (PEL). Correlation analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) showed that HMs in SIP mainly originated from anthropogenic activities. HMs were mainly in residual fractions (55.5 similar to 95.1%), and the exchangeable fractions of Zn and Cd were relatively high. The risk assessment results indicated that Hg and Cd significantly contributed to ecological risks, whereas Cr and Pb made relatively minor contributions. Our findings indicated that intense anthropogenic activities promote HMs accumulations in streams in SIP during rapid industrialization.

Oceanic air samples (gas + particle phases) were collected over the Shanghai-Arctic background oceanic region during the Chinese Arctic Research Expedition 2021. Full scan mode (semi-quantitative) and selective ion monitoring mode (quantitative) were used to analyze separately 72 polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) & C11-C35 n-Alkanes (n-Alks) and unresolved complex mixtures (UCMs, including aromatic-like and aliphatic-like compounds) in these samples. The concentration of ΣPACs in the gas-phase and particle-phase were 0.40-8.5 ng m-3 (2.4±1.7 ng m-3) and 0.059-1.1 ng m-3 (0.21±0.23 ng m-3), respectively. While Σn-Alks in the gas-phase and particle-phase were 2.2-80 ng m-3 (mean= 18±24 ng m-3) and 2.2-20 ng m-3 (mean= 8.6±5.0 ng m-3), respectively. The semi-quantitative result indicated that aromatic-like UCMs were 14-1400 times higher than those of ΣPACs in these two phases, while aliphatic-like UCMs were 1.2-25 times higher than those of Σn-Alks. Through three-dimensional identification of the one-dimensional GC-MS chromatogram (with the x-axis representing GC retention time, the y-axis representing m/z, and the z-axis representing peak intensity), we found that aromatic-like UCMs were primarily composed of phenanthrene & anthracene similar PACs, while aliphatic-like UCMs were predominated by long-chain alkanes. The source identification shows that oil-gas leakage was the dominant source of PACs, followed by petroleum & coal combustion and biomass combustion; n-Alks might be mainly originated from anthropogenic sources, while nature sources at high latitudes cannot be ignored as well. Aromatic-like UCMs had a decreasing latitude trend and the presence of 5-6 ring aromatic-like UCMs enclosed within organic aerosols could pose a significant ecological risk, particularly in high latitude regions. Net uptake of atmospheric carbon caused by dry deposition of aromatic-like & aliphatic-like UCMs varied significantly geographically with mid- and low-latitude seas. The non-polar and weakly polar substances were not the major components of organic carbon in oceanic air of high latitude areas.

Willow barks were collected for OCP analyses in the middle reach of the Huaihe River (MRHR), China. & sum;OCPs in the tree barks were 16.00-50.35 ng g-1 (mean: 27.60 +/- 7.48 ng g-1, dry weight). HCHs were the dominant OCPs in the bark samples. The historical usage of technical HCH and DDT considerably impacted the HCHs and DDTs in the barks. Heptachlor, Aldrin, Isodrin, etc., have never been used in China, but they were frequently detected in the barks, indicating their unknown usage or atmospheric transportation from other source regions. Volumetric air concentrations of OCPs were estimated using a model for bark/air partitioning. Calculated air concentrations of Sigma DDTs and Sigma HCHs were 0.16 +/- 0.04 and 10.38 +/- 4.13 ng m-3, respectively. The results of air-soil exchange were: HCB, HCHs, and Heptachlor presented net volatilization; DDTs preferred net deposition; Endosulfan-I and Endosulfan-II might be in equilibrium or presented a weak trend of deposition; and Aldrin was in equilibrium.

The Gongxin River is one of the main rivers in the Dashan Region of Anhui Province in China, which is a Se-rich and high-Cd area, but no research has focused on the concentration, source, antagonism, and health risks of Se and TMs in fish. In this study, 120 fish samples (14 species), 24 sediment samples, and 24 water samples were collected to investigate the antagonistic effects, sources, and health risks of TMs and Se in fish from a typical selenium-rich and high cadmium region. Zn and Se in fish from the Gongxin River were higher than in the background, which might be attributed to the different feeding habits of different fish species. The apparent antagonism between Se and Cu, Pb, and Cd was explored, and the results showed that 30%, 75%, and 100% of the Se/Cu, Se/Pb, and Se/Cd ratios were greater than one, indicating that Cu, Pb, and Cd in fish might be combined with or detoxicated by Se. The source analysis of the elements showed that the geological background was the source of TMs and Se in fish samples. The amounts of Se and TMs were all within China’s acceptable level guidelines, signifying no harm to citizens from eating fish.

Data presented in the manuscript "Oxidation of a commercial antioxidant is driving increasing atmospheric abundance of a novel organophosphate ester: Implication for global regulation" by Liu et al. (2023).

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are important hazardous air pollutants in China due to the country's coal-dominant energy structure. In order to reveal the pollution characteristics, sources, toxicity, and pollution historical trends of PACs in the atmosphere of the middle reach of the Huaihe River (MRHR), a large-scale coal-fired power base of China, tree barks and tree cores were collected and employed as passive air samplers and historical trend recorders, and 76 PACs were identified for the first time. ΣPACs in tree barks ranged from 170 to 3800 ng g-1 (mean = 700 ± 720 ng g-1), with the high concentrations observed mainly in the coal-mining and coal-bearing area. 16 priority PAHs (PriPAHs) were the predominant substances and accounted for 59 ± 8.3 % of ΣPACs. The combustion of coal and fuel oil was the most significant source of PACs, accounting for 43 % of ΣPACs, followed by the combustion of biomass (30 %) and non-combustion sources (27 %). Based on a bark-air partitioning model, volumetric air concentrations for ΣPACs were calculated to be 450-11,000 ng m-3 (mean = 1600 ± 2000 ng m-3). The BaP-toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQBaP) of ΣPACs (mean = 9.7 ± 15 ng m-3) were significantly higher than the Chinese guideline (1 ng m-3) and were mostly caused by coal & fuel oil combustion (55 ± 13 %). High molecular weight PACs were detected in lower percentages in tree cores than in tree barks, indicating that PACs in the particle phase were difficult to enter the tree core. Major PACs decreased in tree core samples between 2000 and 2020 as pollution control efforts improved, however, some PACs showed different trends when influenced by point sources.

This is the first comprehensive report on antibiotics in the Huai River, a major Chinese river. To illuminate the concentrations, prioritization, spatial distributions, sources, and ecological risks of antibiotics, surface water samples were collected and three types of most widely used antibiotics (16 sulfonamides, 8 tetracyclines, and 14 quinolones) were analyzed. The results indicated that concentrations of ∑quinolones (86 ± 31 ng/L) > ∑tetracyclines (20 ± 13 ng/L) > ∑sulfonamides (11 ± 3.7 ng/L). Oxolinic acid (OXA), cinoxacin(CINX), norfloxacin (NFX), and methacycline (MTC) were the priority antibiotics with mean concentrations > or close to 10 ng/L, however, they were rarely included as target compounds in most previous Chinese investigations. Different spatial distributions of antibiotics were discovered across three reaches separated by two sluices, demonstrating that the sluices may impact antibiotic dissemination. According to the results of the source analysis, the aquaculture industry was the major source of observed antibiotics (49

In the present research work, the concentration, distribution, composition, sources, potential toxicity, and ecological risk of PAHs in riparian soils of the middle reach of Huaihe River (along a 430-kilometer stream gradient) were studied. The total concentrations of PAHs varied from 210 to 39000 ng g(-1), with a mean concentration of 3400 +/- 8400 ng g(-1) and a median value of 760 ng g(-1). The middle section (Huainan-Bengbu section) with frequent coal mining and utilization activities was found to be the most contaminated region. High molecular weight (5- and 6- ring PAHs) and medium molecular weight (4- ring PAHs) PAHs were predominant. Based on the diagnostic ratios method and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, PAHs in riparian soils were mainly originated from pyrogenic sources including vehicle emissions, and biomass and coal combustion. The calculation of total TEQBaP concentrations and risk quotient (RQ) indicated a low to moderate risk level of PAHs in most regions of the study area, but some specific sites showing high toxicity and ecological risk should be caused alarm and attention.

The comprehensive understanding of PCBs' fate has been impeded by the lack of simultaneous monitoring of PCBs in multiple environmental media in the background areas, which were considered long-term sinks for highly chlorinated PCBs. To address this gap, this study analyzed soils, willow tree barks, water, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and sediment samples collected from the middle reach of the Huaihe River in China for 27 PCBs. The results showed that the levels of ∑27PCBs in the soils were comparable to or lower than the background values worldwide. There were no significant correlations between organic matter and ∑27PCB concentrations in the soils and sediments. Additionally, the contamination of dioxin-like PCBs in the aquatic environment of the study area deserves more attention than in the soils. Applying the level III fugacity model to PCB 52, 77, 101, and 114 revealed that the soil was the primary reservoir, and air-soil exchange was the dominant intermedia transfer process, followed by air-water exchange. Furthermore, simulated results of air-soil and air-water diffusion were compared with those calculated from the field concentrations to predict the potential environmental behaviors of PCBs. Results indicated that the studied river would be a "secondary source" for PCB 52, 77, and 101. However, PCB 52, 77, 101, and 114 would continue to transfer from the air to the soil. This study combines multimedia field measurements and the fugacity model, providing a novel approach to predicting the potential environmental behaviors of PCBs.