Environmental Chemistry: Occurrence, Transformation, and Fate of Chemicals in Natural Systems

Summary

This review pulls together decades of research on how pollutants like heavy metals, pesticides, and microplastics move through our air, water, soil, and even our bodies, changing form along the way. The takeaway: these chemicals don't just disappear after use—they travel, transform, and accumulate in ways that can harm wildlife and human health, which is why understanding their journey matters for protecting what we eat, drink, and breathe. Since this is a summary of existing studies rather than new experiments, it highlights gaps in current knowledge and points to where better tracking and cleanup methods are needed most.