The mission of the instituteis to develop new methods and technologies for the analysis of environmental pollutants, explore the toxicological effects of pollutants and their mechanisms, and assess pollutants exposure and their health risks. Research generally falls under one of the following categories:

(1) New methods and technologies for the analysis and detection of environmental pollutants, including the pretreatment methods of complex environmental samples, rapid pollutant detection methods and technologies, such as the analysis methods of trace persistent organic pollutants and environmental hormones; preparation of pollutant antibodies and new immunoassay methods; preparation and functionalization of nanomaterials (such as carbon nanotubes, graphene) and their photo/electrochemical methods to detect environmental organic pollutants; research on microbiological analysis sensors for environmental samples; heavy metal ions analysis technology; the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers and their separation/analysis of organic pollutants in environmental samples; the application of near-infrared fluorescent quantum dots in environmental analysis, etc. It provides fast, convenient, real-time, and wide-covering technical methods for the analysis and detection of environmental pollution highlighted in the context of urbanization and industrialization, so as to provide a strong guarantee for human health and the quality of living environment.

(2) The types, distribution, environmental behavior and toxicological effects of environmental pollutants, especially the compound toxicology and toxic mechanism of pollutants (organic pollutants and heavy metals), including persistent organic pollutants, environmental hormones, the distribution characteristics, bioaccumulation, migration and transformation rules and toxicological effects of pesticide residues, etc.; the toxicity and molecular mechanism of environmental pollutants to aquatic organisms and mammals. We also investigate and analyze pollution sources, conduct real-time detection, evaluation, and screening of key pollution sources in cities and towns through rapid analysis and detection technology, and comprehensively analyzethe pollution source, the transformation pathways of pollutants in the multi-media ecological environment, provide a reliable data support platform foundation for accurately understanding key pollution sources, pollution status and environmental ecological risks, as well as pollution control engineering design.

(3) Environmental pollution and health risk assessment, study the exposure levels and exposure pathways of environmental pollutants (such as organic pollutants and heavy metals) to humans and assess their health risks; carry out nutritional interventions for human health diseases caused by toxic pollutants, analyze their molecular mechanism, and provide an important scientific basis for the prevention and intervention of environmental pollution and its health risks, and human health problems caused by environmental pollution.