Priority control of classical contaminants over emerging contaminants in the Asia’s largest river sediments

Abstract Chemical pollution of aquatic environments is growing global concern, however, it is still unclear what compounds deserve more attention. Here we proposed to use the environmental health prioritization index method in conjunction with the principle of risk maximization to determine the priority list of 112 typical micro-organic contaminants (including classical and emerging contaminants) in the Asia’s largest river – Yangtze River. The results showed that naphthalene, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, pyrene, di-isobutyl phthalate, phenanthrene, di-n-butyl phthalate and benzo[b]fluoranthene were the top 7 pollutants in the whole basin. When compared with emerging contaminants, it was interestingly found that the two classical contaminants (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalate esters) were the most dominant in the priority list, either from the whole basin or provincial level. This study offered a feasible methodology for priority substances screening, in addition, the meaningful findings would be beneficial to the effective management and control of chemical contaminants.