Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) have been widely used in plasticizers and personal care products in recent years, and become one of the most common pollutants in the environment. They have received an extensive attention because of a series of endocrine disrupting activities such as the (anti) estrogenic activity, the (anti) androgen activity and the (anti) thyroid hormone activity. The latest removal methods of PAEs in the aquatic environment are reviewed, with an overview of PAEs and their pollution situation in the aquatic environment worldwide. The advanced oxidation processes for the removal of PAEs and the endocrine disrupting effects during the processes are specially addressed, some important development methods for the removal of PAEs in the aquatic environment are proposed.