Abstract: Chloroanisoles(CAs) are common odorous substances in wine and drinking water needing to be removed. CAs exist in different media in different parts of the world. They are often reported as off-flavor compounds which produce an earthy and musty flavors and odors in wine and drinking water, and are mainly from the degradation products of pentachlorophenols (PCP) and sodium salts. CAs have the properties of strong durability and long-range transport properties as POPs, especially the properties of reproductive toxicity and neurotoxicity. However, there are no standard methods for the determination of CAs in the world. Two kinds of CAs, 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole (TCA) and Pentachloroanisole (PCA), were studied, of which TCA has the lowest odor threshold and PCA has the highest toxicity. The source and distribution, production mechanism, metabolic transformation, toxic effects, detection and removal methods of CAs were discussed. To conclude, CAs are widely distributed with certain toxic effects. In the future, further study on the environmental migration, transformation laws and toxicology of CAs should be strengthened.