The threat to human health caused by environmental exposure has become a global public health issue. The cumulative levels of environmental chemicals in human body and their potential biological effects remain to be explored. In the "Human internal exposure to environmental chemicals and health effects" special column, the health effects of exposure to environmental chemicals in China were evaluated at disease onset, metabolic, and molecular levels, enriching understanding of the potential health effects of internal and external exposures to environmental pollutants in China, and providing scientific action guidance to cope with and control environmental pollutant emission in China.