Ultraviolet absorbents （UVAs） are common additives in personal care and industrial products. Due to their pseudo-persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity, environmental pollution and the risks associated with UVAs have raised widespread concern. However, current understanding of the pollution characteristics and ecological risks of UVAs in urban aquatic environments is still limited. To investigate the occurrence, composition, and spatial distribution characteristics of UVAs in the aquatic environment, eight UVAs in 40 paired water and suspended particulate matter （SPM） samples in the Guangzhou reach of the Pearl River were analyzed, and their potential aquatic ecological risks were further assessed using risk quotients. The results showed that UVAs were widely detected in the aqueous and SPM phases of the Guangzhou reach of the Pearl River, with total concentrations （∑