Research progress on the associations between emerging contaminants and non-communicable diseases

GUO Yu-qian; GAO Ya; GUO Chang-sheng; WU Rong-shan; FAN Jing-pu; ZHANG Yan; XU Jian

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China Environmental Science ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (3) : 1663-1672.

Environmental Toxicology and Environmental Health

Research progress on the associations between emerging contaminants and non-communicable diseases

GUO Yu-qian^1,2, GAO Ya^1,2, GUO Chang-sheng^1,2, WU Rong-shan^1,2, FAN Jing-pu^1,2, ZHANG Yan^1,2, XU Jian^1,2

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Abstract

A bibliometric and visualization analysis using CiteSpace was performed on publications concerning emerging contaminants (ECs) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection for the period 2005~2025, with the aim of mapping the field’s evolution and identifying research frontiers. Publication output increased substantially over the study period, with accelerated growth after 2014, coinciding with intensified policy initiatives to regulate newly listed pollutants under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. In addition, the University of California, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences were among the most productive institutions, and relevant studies were predominantly published in international journals, including Environmental Health Perspectives and Environmental Science & Technology. The disciplinary landscape was dominated by Environmental Sciences, Toxicology, and Public Environmental Occupational Health, with public health serving as a critical bridge between environmental exposure assessment and disease-related mechanisms. Earlier work largely examined links between endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and disinfection by products (DBPs) and cancer, whereas recent studies have increasingly emphasized metabolic disorders associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and nanoparticles, alongside mechanistic themes involving the gut microbiota and inflammation. Future research should prioritize elucidating toxicological pathways and constructing integrative multi-omics frameworks to better explain the pathogenesis of NCDs.

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emerging contaminants / non-communicable diseases / bibliometrics

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GUO Yu-qian, GAO Ya, GUO Chang-sheng, WU Rong-shan, FAN Jing-pu, ZHANG Yan, XU Jian. Research progress on the associations between emerging contaminants and non-communicable diseases[J]. China Environmental Science. 2026, 46(3): 1663-1672

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