Viewpoint Emerging chemicals of concern: Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in Asia, with particular reference to Southern China Bruce J. Richardson a, * , Paul K.S. Lam a , Michael Martin b a Department of Biology and Chemistry, Research Centre for Coastal Pollution and Conservation, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong b Office of Spill Prevention and Response, California Department of Fish and Game, 20 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Suite 100, Monterey, CA 93940, USA Abstract Inmanywesternnations,pharmaceuticalsandpersonalcareproducts(PPCPs)arepresentinaquaticenvironments,raisingcon- cernsamongstchemistsandtoxicologistsregardingtheirpotentialenvironmentalfatesandeffects.However,therearefewpublished reportsofPPCPsinenvironmentalsamplesfromSoutheastAsia.WhilsttheenvironmentaltoxicologyofPPCPsisnotwellunder- stood, several effects cause concern, such as feminisation or masculinisation by hormones and xenoestrogens, synergistic toxicity from complex mixtures at low concentrations, potential creation of resistant strains in natural bacterial populations, and other potentialconcernsforhumanhealth.WhilstboththepresenceanddistributionsofPPCPsinSoutheastAsiaandChinaarenotwell known, observations elsewhere suggest that they may be important contaminants in the aquatic environment. This is particularly emphasised by the enormous production and widespread use of many PPCPs in China, particularly antibiotics utilised in human and veterinary medicine applications. This Viewpoint presents a general description of the issue, characterises the current status ofPPCPanalysesandreportingintheSoutheastAsianregion,andproposesarecommendedapproachformonitoringandchemical assessment of one group of PPCPs, antibiotics, in the aquatic environments of Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs); Southeast Asia 1. Introduction Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a diverse group of environmental chemicals that have captured the attention of scientists and the public, especially in the more developed western countries of North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. There are more than 3000 different substances used as medicines, including painkillers, antibiotics, contracep- tives, beta-blockers, lipid regulators, tranquilizers, and impotence drugs (Ternes et al., 2004). During and after treatment, humans and animals excrete a combination of intact and metabolised pharmaceuticals, many of which are generally soluble in water and have been dis- charged to the aquatic environment with little evalua- tion of possible risks or consequences to humans and theenvironment.Inaddition,chemicalsthatarecompo- nents of personal care products number in the thou- sands, and are contained in skin care products, dental care products, soaps, sunscreen agents and hair care products. Annual production exceeds 1 · 10 6 tonnes worldwide (for example, >553,000 tonnes were pro- ducedinGermanyalonein1993; DaughtonandTernes, 0025-326X/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.06.034 * Correspondingauthor.Tel.:+85227887042;fax:+85227887406. E-mail address: bhbrucer@cityu.edu.hk (B.J. Richardson). www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul Marine Pollution Bulletin 50 (2005) 913–920