Abstract: Emerging organic pollutants are taken up by crops, posing a threat to human health via the food chain. The fate of ionic emerging organic pollutants (IEOPs) is more complicated due to their lower volatility and higher polarity. An understanding of the mechanisms of uptake, distribution, and transformation of IEOPs in crops is important for uncovering the fate of IEOPs in farming systems. Here, the crop uptake and translocation processes of IEOPs are reviewed, with a focus on the effects of the physicochemical properties of IEOPs, crop composition, transporters, and controlling genes, etc. The accumulation and distribution patterns of IEOPs in crops are discussed at the organic, tissular, and subcellular levels. Meanwhile, the transformation mechanisms of IEOPs, including the pathways and enzymes involved, are presented. Finally, the directions for future research in this field, e. g., strengthening research on the uptake mechanisms, improving the uptake prediction models, and focusing on in vivo plant transformation, are presented.