Bisphenols (BPs) are ubiquitous environmental endocrine disruptors that cause various human health hazards and pollute water, soil, and the atmosphere to varying degrees. Although various studies have investigated the pollution characteristics and health hazards of BPs in different media, a systematic review of BPs in the broader environmental context is still lacking. This study highlights the pollution characteristics, detection methods, and risk assessment status of BPs by combining relevant studies from both domestic and international sources, and their environmental distribution characteristics are summarized. The results show that BP pollution is a widespread and complex global phenomenon. Bisphenol A (BPA) remains the predominant component of BPs, which can damage the nervous and reproductive systems. At present, high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry are the main detection methods used for BPs. BPs can also damage the reproductive system, leading to germ cell apoptosis and ovarian damage. Future research should focus on expanding the BP testing repertoire, advancing rapid detection techniques, elucidating toxic mechanisms, conducting comprehensive safety assessments, and developing systematic health risk assessment methods. These efforts will provide a scientific foundation for preventing and controlling emerging pollutants.

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are a class of common environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs), capable of causing considerable pollution to water, soil, and air and producing a range of adverse health impacts in humans. Although various studies have investigated the pollution characteristics and health hazards of PAEs in different media, a systematic review of PAEs in the broader environmental context is still lacking. In order to comprehensively explore current issues and suggest prospects, the current status, detection technology, toxicity, and health hazards of PAEs were investigated. The results suggest that PAE pollution is a widespread and complex global phenomenon, transported over long distances. The traditional techniques used for determination include high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Various detection techniques offer distinct advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, PAEs can cause differing extents of harm to the nervous and reproductive systems of mammals. In the future, it is imperative to improve the detection of PAEs, establish rapid identification approaches, refine toxicological research methods, and investigate more comprehensive health risk assessment methods. These efforts will provide scientific support for the prevention and management of the resulting contaminants.

Organic components in atmospheric fine particulate matter have attracted much attention and several scientific studies have been performed, although most of the sample extraction methods are time consuming and laborious. Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) is a new sample extraction method offering number of advantages, such as low extraction cost, reduced solvent and time consumption, and simplified extraction protocols. In order to optimize ASE methods to determine the concentrations of organic compounds in atmospheric fine particulate matter, different parameters were set out for the experiment, and the optimal method was selected according to the recoveries of the standard (i.e., n−alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)). This study also involves a comparison of the optimal method with the traditional method of ultrasonic extraction (USE). In addition, the optimized method was applied to measure the mass concentrations of organic compounds (n−alkanes and PAHs) in fine particulate matter samples collected in Beijing. The findings showed that the average recovery of target compounds using ASE was 96%, with the majority of compounds falling within the confidence levels, and the ASE recoveries and precision were consistent with the USE method tested. Furthermore, ASE combines the advantages of high extraction efficiency, automation, and reduced solvent use. In conclusion, the optimal ASE methods can be used to extract organic components in atmospheric particulate matter and serve as a point of reference for the development of analytical methodologies for assessing organic compounds in atmospheric particulate matter in China.

Solar radiation is the fundamental energy source of climate change, which has a significant impact on the generations of secondary fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and ozone (O₃) in the atmosphere. Additionally, surface solar radiation is also affected by the concentration of PM_2.5, which in turn affects the generation of O₃. To clarify the relationships among the O₃, PM_2.5 and the total radiation intensity, this study analyzes their temporal and spatial variation trends from 2017 to 2019. Meanwhile, as a common precursor of O₃ and PM_2.5, concentration variations in nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) are discussed as well in this study. The results showed the following: (1) There are significant positive correlations between the O₃-8 h concentrations and the total radiation intensities in critical regions, especially in the “2 + 26” cities, Fen-Wei Plain and Yangtze River Delta. (2) The decrease in PM_2.5 concentrations is in good agreement with the trend of NO₂ concentrations, while the response of O₃ concentration to the NO₂ concentration variation differs in different regions, except in the Pearl River Delta. (3) In addition to the meteorological factors, changes in the concentrations and ratios of precursors such as NO₂ and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) likely contribute to the observed fluctuations in O₃ concentrations in recent years.

The ability of the atmosphere to convert primary pollutants into secondary pollutants through atmospheric oxidants is referred to as the atmospheric oxidizing capacity (AOC). This study systematically reviews the generation mechanisms, influencing factors, and quantitative characterization methods of major oxidants, along with advances in chemical mechanisms and modeling. We provide a comparative analysis of AOCs across diverse environments, including urban, suburban, and rural regions, highlighting the distinct impacts of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions on oxidation regimes. Despite advancements in chemical transport models and machine learning, limitations such as sparse observations, imperfect parameterizations, and unresolved chemical mechanisms lead to significant underestimations of the AOC. Future research must prioritize multi-scale observational networks and the elucidation of key chemical processes to refine model accuracy and improve the effectiveness of pollution control strategies.

Given the deteriorating situation of ambient ozone (O₃) pollution in some areas of China, understanding the mechanisms driving O₃ formation is essential for formulating effective control measures. This study examines O₃ formation mechanisms and RO_x (OH, HO_2, and RO₂) radical cycling driven by photochemical processes in Bozhou, located at the junction of Jiangsu–Anhui–Shandong–Henan (JASH), a region heavily affected by O₃ pollution, by applying a zero-dimensional box model (Framework for 0-Dimensional Atmospheric Modeling, F0AM) coupled with the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM v3.3.1) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF 5.0) to characterize O₃ pollution, identify volatile organic compound (VOC) sources, and quantify radical budgets during pollution episodes. The results show that O₃ episodes in Bozhou mainly occurred in June under conditions of high temperature and low wind speed. Oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs), alkanes, and halocarbons were the dominant VOCs groups. The CH₃O₂ + NO reaction accounted for 24.3% of O₃ production, while photolysis contributed 68.7% of its removal. Elevated VOCs concentrations in Bozhou were largely maintained by anthropogenic sources such as vehicle exhaust, solvent utilization, and gasoline evaporation, which collectively enhanced O₃ production. The findings indicate that O₃ formation in the region is primarily regulated by NO_x availability. Therefore, emission reductions targeting NO_x, along with selective control of OVOCs and alkenes, would be the most effective strategies for lowering O₃ levels. Model simulations further highlight Bozhou’s strong atmospheric oxidation capacity, with OVOC photolysis identified as the dominant contributor to RO_x generation, accounting for 33% of the total. Diurnal patterns were evident: NO_x-related reactions dominated radical sinks in the morning, while HO₂ + RO₂ reactions accounted for 28.5% in the afternoon. By clarifying the mechanisms of O₃ formation in Bozhou, this study provides a scientific basis for designing ozone control strategies across the JASH junction region. In addition, ethanol was not directly measured in this study; given its potential to generate acetaldehyde and affect local O₃ formation, its possible contribution introduces additional uncertainty that warrants further investigation.