Potential Effects and Removal Strategies for Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in the Circular Economy of Water

The circular economy of water promises cost-efficient long-term resource sustainability and is a potential paradigm for managing contaminants of emerging concerns. The aquatic environment contains many emerging pollutants brought on by point and diffuse pollution. Recent scientific reports suggest that more than 700 chemicals have been discovered in the aquatic environment of Europe as emerging pollutants. Persistent organic pollutants like Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are often reported in biosolids and wastewater effluents in high quantities. These substances are not typically monitored, yet they have the potential to permeate the environment and have detrimental ecological and health effects on humans. Action is urgently needed, given their potential consequences. The advanced circular economy remediation techniques for stabilizing emerging contaminants involve the production of an effective adsorbent from sewage sludge, membrane bioreactors, advanced oxidation processes, electrokinetic remediation, and hybrid systems. Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including pharmaceuticals, microplastics, heavy metals, and biocidal chemicals or pesticides, are eliminated using these advanced treatment methods to enhance the quality of wastewater effluents in a closed-loop system without generating waste. This chapter demonstrates the occurrence, environmental effects, and cutting-edge treatment approaches regarding CECs as a foundation for sustainable water resource management.