Emerging pollutants in water and human health

Abstract

Continuous increase of human population and resulting urbanization and industrialization leads to the contamination of water bodies. Water is one of the most important vivacious cores of all the living beings without which life could not be expected. But due to the anthropogenic sources of water pollution, that is, discharge of untreated industrial and sewage wastewater, runoff from agricultural fields, agrochemicals, and so forth, continuous increases in the concentration of emerging water pollutants has been observed. Emerging water pollutants are the compounds or their by-products, which are not generally present nor monitored but have the probability to enter the aquatic bodies causing adverse effects to human health and the ecosystem. Pesticides, detergents, flame retardants, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals are some of the synthetic-occurring biochemical entities emerging as pollutants. With the increase in pollutants, the number of these synthetic chemicals is also enhanced. These emerging pollutants-primary pollutants or micro-pollutants-refer to those for which there are no standards and monitoring if present in discharged wastewater. The lack of scientific data on the fate and behavior of emerging pollutants in the wastewater also poses a risk to ecological and human health. This chapter discusses the emerging pollutants and health effects linked to these chemicals pharmaceuticals, hormone, toxins, endocrine disruptors, and so forth. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.