From Evaluation to Practice: Bridging the Gap Between Air Pollution Health Risk Assessment and Policy-Making in China

Dongqun Xu^1,#

1. China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.

^# Corresponding author: Dongqun Xu, xudq@chinacdc.cn.

Abstract This article systematically reviews the significant progress China has made in the field of air pollution health risk assessment since 2013, including the establishment of the national monitoring network, the improvement of relevant laws technical guideline formulation. The paper focuses on an in-depth discussion of the current core challenges: the disconnection between health risk and decision-making, the lack of a multi-sectoral coordination mechanism, the imperfection of the technical system (particularly for mixed exposures and emerging pollutants), and the novel risks posed by global climate change. Based on this analysis, we prospectively propose fundamental pathways to advance the field: 1) constructing a robust management mechanism and coordination framework; 2) promoting the integration of the full risk assessment process into the decision-making pipeline (an “assessment-management interaction” paradigm); and 3) strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and leveraging innovative technologies to refine the technical assessment system.

从评估到实践：弥合中国空气污染健康风险评估与政策制定之间的差距

徐东群^1,#

1. 环境与健康相关产品安全所，中国疾病预防控制中心，北京，中国。

^# 通信作者：徐东群，xudq@chinacdc.cn。

本文系统回顾了2013年以来中国在大气污染健康风险评估领域取得的进展，包括建立了国家空气污染健康影响监测网络，制修订相关法律及技术指南等。重点讨论了当前存在的问题：健康风险评估与决策之间的脱节，缺乏多部门协调机制，技术系统不完善（特别是对于混合暴露和新污染物等），以及全球气候变化带来的新挑战。在此基础上，提出了推进该领域发展的路径：建立健全风险评估管理机制，推动基于风险评估做出空气污染治理的决策，加强跨学科合作，利用创新技术完善技术评价体系。

For more information: https://weekly.chinacdc.cn/en/article/doi/10.46234/ccdcw2025.193

National Monitoring for Radioactivity in Drinking Water — China, 2012–2024

Liangliang Yin¹; Yuhan Xie¹; Yuxin Qian¹; Cen Shi¹; Yanqin Ji^1,#

1. Key Laboratory of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Emergency, National Institute for Radiological Protection, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.

^# Corresponding author: Yanqin Ji, jiyanqin@nirp.chinacdc.cn.

To establish baseline radioactivity levels and ensure the safety of drinking water quality in China, gross alpha and gross beta radioactivity levels in drinking water were surveyed from 2012 to 2024. The surveillance was conducted through the national monitoring system for radioactivity in drinking water, organized by The National Institutefor Radiological Protection (NIRP) during the period 2012–2024. Drinking water samples were collected and pretreated in accordance with a unified protocol, and radioactivity was determined using alpha/beta counting systems by local Laboratories. From 2012 to 2024, over 11,000 drinking water samples were collected and analyzed across 29 provinces, including areas surrounding nuclear power plants. The mean concentration ranges of gross alpha and gross beta radioactivity levels in all regions and various water bodies were 0.01–0.17 Bq/L and 0.05–0.38 Bq/L, respectively, all of which are below the guidance values specified in the national standard GB 5749 (0.5 Bq/L for gross alpha and  1 Bq/L for gross beta). However, the gross alpha and gross beta activity levels in well water were higher than those in other water bodies. The results indicate that radioactivity in drinking water primarily originates from natural radionuclides. Drinking water in China maintains normal background levels of radioactivity. Nuclear power plant operations do not seem to have an impact on surrounding water sources.

饮用水放射性监测 — 中国，2012–2024年

尹亮亮¹；谢雨晗¹；钱宇欣¹；石岑¹；吉艳琴^1,#

1. 中国疾病预防控制中心辐射防护与核安全医学所 辐射防护与核应急中国疾病预防控制中心重点实验室，北京，中国。

^# 通讯作者：吉艳琴,  jiyanqin@nirp.chinacdc.cn。

为掌握我国饮用水放射性本底水平，保障饮用水水质安全，2012–2024年期间由中国疾控中心辐射安全所组织开展了我国饮用水中总α、总β放射性水平调查。2012–2024年由中国疾控中心辐射安全所组织开展全国饮用水放射性监测调查。各监测实验室按照统一方案采集水样并进行预处理，采用α/β测量仪测定放射性活度。2012–2024年期间，全国29个省份（含核电站周边区域）累计监测饮用水样品逾11 000份。所有地区及各类水体的总α、总β放射性活度浓度的平均值范围分别为0.01–0.17 Bq/L and 0.05–0.38 Bq/L，均低于《生活饮用水卫生标准》（GB 5749）的指导值（总α0.5Bq/L，总β1 Bq/L），其中井水的总α、总β活度浓度略高于其他水体。饮用水中放射性贡献主要来源于天然放射核素。我国饮用水中的放射性处于正常本底水平，核电站运行未对周边饮用水造成可观测影响。

For more information: https://weekly.chinacdc.cn/en/article/doi/10.46234/ccdcw2025.194

Wastewater-Based Monitoring of Dengue Fever at Community Level — Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China, May 2024

Yu Ma^1,&; Bo Zhou^2,&; Wenzhe Su¹; Wenhui Liu¹; Chanjuan Qu²; Yutian Miao¹; Chun Chen¹; Mengmeng Ma¹; Bofeng Dai¹; Huiwen Wu²; Xiqing Li^3,#; Zhoubin Zhang^1,#

1. Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China;

2. Weiming Environmental Molecular Diagnostics (Changshu) Co., Ltd., Changshu City, Jiangsu Province, China;

3. College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.

^& Joint first authors.

^# Corresponding author: Zhoubin Zhang, gzcdc_zhangzb@gz.gov.cn; Xiqing Li, xli@urban.pku.edu.cn.

Traditional dengue surveillance operates reactively, frequently lagging behind viral transmission patterns and thereby impeding timely public health responses. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) presents significant potential for proactive early warning systems. This study sought to implement and validate the first community-level WBE system for dengue during an active outbreak, evaluating its capacity to detect cryptic transmission and provide actionable intelligence for public health interventions. During a dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV-1) outbreak, we collected 618 wastewater grab samples from manholes within a 200-m radius of 8 reported cases, along with matched patient serum and urine samples. We systematically compared magnetic bead and polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentration methods for viral recovery efficiency. DENV-1 ribonucleic acid (RNA) was detected and quantified using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Positive samples underwent genomic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to confirm environmental signals and determine viral lineages. The magnetic bead method demonstrated superior performance with a limit of detection of 10 copies/mL and was selected based on its higher recovery efficiency (59.7%). We successfully detected DENV-1 in 14 of 618 wastewater samples tested. Critically, a positive wastewater signal from one residential building preceded the clinical diagnosis of a new case within that same location by several hours. For a single patient, we successfully generated matched viral genomic sequences from serum, urine, and wastewater samples, providing definitive validation of the environmental signal's authenticity. Community-level wastewater surveillance represents a powerful and effective tool for dengue control programs. This approach provides actionable early warnings by detecting cryptic viral transmission before cases receive clinical identification. Such capabilities enable public health authorities to deploy preemptive, geographically-targeted interventions, including vector control measures, fundamentally improving both the speed and precision of outbreak responses while helping to mitigate disease spread.

社区水平的登革热污水监测 — 广州市，广东省，中国，2024年5月

马钰^1,&; 周波^2,&; 苏文哲¹; 刘文辉¹; 屈婵娟²; 苗宇田¹; 陈纯¹; 马蒙蒙¹; 代伯峰¹; 吴惠雯²; 李喜青^3,#; 张周斌^1,#

1. 广州市疾病预防控制中心，广州市，广东省，中国;

2. 未名环境分子诊断（常熟）有限公司，常熟市，江苏省，中国;

3. 北京大学城市与环境学院，北京市, 中国。

^& 共同第一作者。

^# 通信作者：张周斌，gzcdc_zhangzb@gz.gov.cn；李喜青，xli@urban.pku.edu.cn。

传统登革热监测依赖于临床病例报告，存在固有的滞后性，难以满足疫情快速响应的需求。基于污水的流行病学（WBE）作为一种前瞻性监测手段，展现出早期预警的巨大潜力。本研究旨在真实疫情环境中，构建并验证一个社区层面的登革热污水监测体系，旨在揭示隐性传播，为精准防控提供科学依据。本研究针对一次1型登革病毒（DENV-1）本土疫情，围绕8名病例住所200米范围内的污水管网，定点采集了618份瞬时污水，并同步获取了配对的患者血清与尿液样本。实验比较了磁珠法与聚乙二醇（PEG）沉淀法对病毒的富集效果，采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应（RT-qPCR）技术进行病毒核酸检测，并对阳性样本开展基因组测序与系统发育分析，以进行病毒溯源。研究表明，磁珠法回收率（59.7%）更高，检出限可达10 copies/mL。共计14份污水样本检出DENV-1。一项关键发现是某居民楼的污水阳性信号，早于该楼内一位居民被临床确诊，证实了该方法的预警能力。研究团队更成功获得了同一病例的血清、尿液及相关污水的配对病毒基因组序列，确证了环境信号与临床病例的直接关联。社区层面的污水监测是登革热防控的一种高效创新手段。它能够在临床诊断之前发现隐性传播，发出精准的早期预警。这不仅弥补了传统监测的不足，更有助于公共卫生部门采取靶向性强、更具时效性的干预措施，例如媒介控制，从而极大提升应急响应效率，有效控制疫情蔓延。

For more information: https://weekly.chinacdc.cn/en/article/doi/10.46234/ccdcw2025.195

Characteristics of Spatial Distribution, Health Risk Assessment, and Regulation of PFAS in Global Drinking Water

Jinsha Ma^1,2; Muzhi Shao³; Weiwei Fan^1,2; Fengge Chen^1,2; Yuantao Hao³; Tong Wang^4,#; Yongyue Wei^3,#

1. Department of Public Health Surveillance and Evaluation, Shijiazhuang Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, China;

2. Hebei Key Laboratory of Difficult and Complicated Pathogen Research, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, China;

3. Center for Public Health and Epidemic Preparedness & Response, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University; Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.

4. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University; Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, China.

^# Corresponding author: Yongyue Wei, ywei@pku.edu.cn; Tong Wang, tongwang@sxmu.edu.cn.

This study systematically evaluated the spatial distribution, health risks, and regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in global drinking water using the PubMed and Web of Science databases (January 1, 2000, to February 25, 2025). Among the 122 studies reviewed, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) received the greatest research attention (detected in 102 and 100 studies, respectively) and showed the highest detection rates (64.69% and 60.72%, respectively). Several other compounds, including perfluorooctane sulfonamide, perfluorobutanesulfonamide, and perfluoropropane sulfonate, also exhibited high detection rates but remain underregulated, underscoring the need for further research and regulatory oversight. The three countries with the highest concentrations of were the Republic of Korea, the United States, and China. Risk assessments indicated that perfluorohexanoic acid, perfluorobutanoic acid, and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid posed negligible health risks, while perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), PFOA, PFOS, and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) showed descending levels of health risk (PFHxS > PFOA > PFOS > PFNA). Regulatory approaches are shifting from compound-specific standards to integrated mixture-based frameworks, reinforced by progressively stringent limits.

全球生活饮用水中PFAS空间分布特征、健康风险评估和监管现状

马金沙^1,2；邵沐之³；范尉尉^1,2；陈凤格^1,2；郝元涛³；王彤^4,#；魏永越^3,#

1. 公共卫生监测与评价科，石家庄市疾病预防控制中心，石家庄，河北省，中国；

2. 河北省疑难病原研究重点实验室，石家庄，河北省，中国；

3. 公众健康与重大疫情防控战略研究中心，流行病与卫生统计学系，公共卫生学院，北京大学；重大疾病流行病学教育部重点实验室（北京大学），北京，中国；

4. 流行病和健康统计学系，公共卫生学院，山西医科大学；煤炭环境致病与防治教育部重点实验室（山西医科大学），太原市，山西省，中国。

^# 通讯作者: 魏永越，ywei@pku.edu.cn；王彤，tongwang@sxmu.edu.cn。

通过系统检索PubMed和Web of Science数据库（2000年1月1日至2025年2月25日），阐释全球饮用水中全氟及多氟烷基类物质（per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS）空间分布、健康风险评估及监管现状。本文共纳入原始研究122篇。研究结果显示：全氟辛酸（perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA）和全氟辛烷磺酸（perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, PFOS）是研究关注度最高的两种PFAS，原始研究分别为102和100篇；同时两者的检出率最高，分别为64.69%和60.72%。全氟辛烷磺酰胺（perfluorooctanesulfonamide, PFOSA）、全氟丁烷磺酰胺（perfluorobutanesulfonamide, PFBSA）和全氟丙烷磺酸（perfluoropropanesulfonate, PFPrS）呈现较高检出率，但缺乏有效监管，提示需加强相关研究与监管力度。韩国、美国和中国为生活饮用水中PFAS质量浓度最高的三个国家。健康风险评估显示：全氟己酸（perfluorohexanoic acid, PFHxA）、全氟丁酸（perfluorobutanoic acid, PFBA）和全氟丁烷磺酸（perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, PFBS）的健康风险可忽略，全氟己烷磺酸（perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, PFHxS）、PFOA、PFOS和全氟壬酸（perfluorononanoic acid, PFNA）健康风险依次递减（PFHxS＞PFOA＞PFOS＞PFNA）。当前监管趋势正从单一化合物标准向基于混合物的综合评估体系转变，且限值标准日趋严格。

For more information: https://weekly.chinacdc.cn/en/article/doi/10.46234/ccdcw2025.196