Incineration　has　significant　advantages　in　the　harmless,　reduction　and　recycling　treatment　of　municipal　solid　waste　(MSW).　Dioxins　(DXN),　a　highly　toxic　and　persistent　pollutant　that　is　a　by-product　of　the　MSW　incineration　(MSWI)　process,　is　the　main　cause　of　the　＇not　in　my　back　yard＇　effect　of　incineration　plant　construction.　The　industrial　status　of　DXN　emission　concentration　that　is　difficult　to　detect　real　time　online　has　become　a　bottleneck　restricting　the　optimization　of　MSWI　process　operation　and　municipal　environmental　pollution　control.　First,　the　generation　characteristics　and　emission　control　strategies　of　DXN　based　on　a　typical　MSWI　processes　are　analyzed.　Then,　the　DXN　emission　concentration　detection　methods　are　divided　into　offline　direct　detection　method,　indicator/association　online　indirect　detection　method,　and　soft　measurement　method　in　terms　of　measurement　principle,　complexity,　and　time　scale.　Further,　these　methods　are　reviewed　in　detail.　Thirdly,　the　development　stage　and　correlation　of　these　different　methods　are　addressed,　and　their　respective　advantages　and　disadvantages　and　complementarity　with　each　other　are　indicated.　Based　on　the　characteristics　of　MSWI　process,　the　difficulties　of　DXN　emission　concentration　soft　measurement　based　on　process　data　are　summarized.　Moreover,　it　is　refined　as　a　class　intelligent　modeling　problem　based　on　small　sample　high　dimensional　sparse　labeled　data.　Finally,　the　future　research　direction　and　development　prospects　of　DXN　emission　concentration　intelligent　soft　measurement　are　suggested.　Copyright　©　2020　Acta　Automatica　Sinica.　All　rights　reserved.