Abstract: Sediment quality criteria (SQC) are the supplement of current water quality criteria, being of significance in water quality management. In China, the
 research on SQC started late, and was mainly focused on heavy metals, paying less attention to organic pollutants. Phaseequilibrium partitioning approach (EqP) is a useful approach which can be used to derive sediment quality criteria fo organic pollutants. In this paper, the basic principles of EqP and its applications for SQC of organic pollutants were introduced, and the impact of irreversible adsorption as well as the modification of EqP was discussed. Some problems of the present EqP and the research prospects were put forward.

Key words: sediment, phase-equilibrium partitioning approach, organic pollutant, irreversible adsorption, biotic ingestion, climate change, research method, host plant, insect pest, insect natural enemy.