Occurrence, Distribution and Health Risk of Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs) in China: A Critical Review

Abstract

With being listed in the Stockholm Convention, the ban on short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) has been put on the agenda in China. Based on the literature over the past decade, this study comprehensively analyzed the occurrence, distribution of and human exposure to SCCPs in China, aiming to provide a reference for the changes in SCCPs after the ban. SCCPs were ubiquitous in environmental matrices, and the levels were considerably higher than those in other countries. SCCPs from the emission region were 2–4 orders of magnitude higher than those in the background area. Environmental processes may play an important role in the SCCP profiles in the environment, and C10 and Cl6 were identified as potential factors distinguishing their spatial distribution. River input was the dominant source in the sea areas, and atmospheric transport was the main source in the remote inland areas. Ingestion and dermal absorption and food intake may pose potential risk to residents, especially for children and infants. More studies are needed on their temporal trend, source emission and environmental degradation. The enactment of the restriction order will have a great impact on China’s CP industry; nevertheless, it will play a positive role in the remediation of SCCP pollution in the environment.

Ecological and health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediment core of Phayao Lake, Thailand

“…Regarding CPs as secondary plasticizers, the "Fourth Coordinated Survey of Human Milk for POPs" recently published by WHO [96] revealed alarmingly high CP levels already approaching those of the infamous insecticide DDT, and are likely to surpass all other POP substances in the near future, warranting urgent intervention. Existing studies indicate that human exposure occurs through ingestion of contaminated food [93,102,103] and dust [104][105][106][107] . The main sources of CPs in developing countries appear to differ from those in developed nations [96] .…”