Summary
A wide range of unregulated chemicals of synthetic origin or derived from natural sources, which may be a contender for future regulations are called Emerging Contaminants (ECs). The concentration of ECs ranges from ng/L to μg/L, which is comparatively smaller as compared to other pollutants present in water and wastewater. Even though the environmental concentration is low, ECs still possess a great threat to the humans and ecosystem. These compounds are being widely studied due to their potential health effects, pervasive nature, and difficult degradation through conventional techniques. Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) or pharmaceutical contaminants (PCs) are one of the major groups of ECs which can cause inimical effect on living organisms even at very lower concentration. These
Regional applicability
The paper addresses a global water quality concern without geographic specificity. Its findings on treatment technology efficacy and wastewater management challenges are broadly applicable to United Kingdom water authorities and environmental regulators, particularly given increasing pharmaceutical consumption and regulatory pressure to improve wastewater treatment standards.
Key measures
Concentration ranges of pharmaceutical contaminants (ng/L to μg/L); treatment efficacy of various removal technologies
Outcomes reported
The review identifies pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) and personal care products (PPCPs) as emerging contaminants in water bodies at ng/L to μg/L concentrations, and summarises available treatment approaches for their removal from wastewater.
Topic tags
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