Emerging pollutants in aquatic environments: Occurrence, sources, fate, health and environmental effects and risk assessment
Subject Areas : Assessing the risks of pollutants on environment
Mohammad Safari
1
,
Ahmad Asl Hashemi
2
,
Gholamhossein Safari
3
1 - Faculty of Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Kerman Branch, Kerman, Iran
2 - Department of Environmental Health Education, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 - Department of Environmental Health Education, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Keywords: Aquatic environments, Emerging pollutants, Fate, Health effects, Risk assessment,
Abstract :
Emerging pollutants (EPs) encompass a wide range of synthetic or natural substances, such as biocides, fire retardants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), emollients, surfactants, hormones, personal care products, pharmaceutical compounds, and nanoparticles, many of which are not consistently controlled or monitored in the environment. Despite their typically low environmental concentrations, these pollutants pose significant risks to human health and living organisms. EPs primarily originate from hospitals, agricultural fields, urban areas and industrial sectors. Their entrance into the environment occurs through polluted water, wastewater sludge from wastewater treatment plants, and manure from agricultural fields. While the sources of EPs are generally known, further research is needed to fully understand their behavior, fate, and potential risks across different environmental sectors as well as their impacts on human health and ecosystems. This review aims to investigate the current state of the occurrence, pollution sources, fate, and health and environmental impacts of EPs, with a particular focus on aquatic environments and the broader goal of sustainable water resource management. The article categorizes EPs in the environment, and provides detailed discussion on their sources, fate and effects supported by relevant examples. Additionally, it addresses the challenges posed by EP contamination in aquatic systems and the associated risks to both aquatic life and human health. Finally the review offers critical insights into the current challenges and suggests avenues for further research to mitigate the effects of EPs on aquatic environments and public health.
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