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Emerging Contaminants in the Effluent of Wastewater Should Be Regulated: Which and to What Extent?
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This study identified 18 high-risk emerging contaminants in Chinese wastewater treatment plant effluent, including pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals like bisphenol-A, that need stricter regulation. While focused on chemical contaminants rather than microplastics directly, these pollutants often coexist with microplastics in wastewater and can bind to plastic particle surfaces. Better regulation of wastewater discharge is essential for reducing the combined health risks from microplastics and the chemicals they carry.
Effluent discharged from urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a major source of emerging contaminants (ECs) requiring effective regulation. To this end, we collected discharge datasets of pharmaceuticals (PHACs) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), representing two primary categories of ECs, from Chinese WWTP effluent from 2012 to 2022 to establish an exposure database. Moreover, high-risk ECs' long-term water quality criteria (LWQC) were derived using the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) method. A total of 140 ECs (124 PHACs and 16 EDCs) were identified, with concentrations ranging from N.D. (not detected) to 706 μg/L. Most data were concentrated in coastal regions and Gansu, with high ecological risk observed in Gansu, Hebei, Shandong, Guangdong, and Hong Kong. Using the assessment factor (AF) method, 18 high-risk ECs requiring regulation were identified. However, only three of them, namely carbamazepine, ibuprofen, and bisphenol-A, met the derivation requirements of the SSD method. The LWQC for these three ECs were determined as 96.4, 1010, and 288 ng/L, respectively. Exposure data for carbamazepine and bisphenol-A surpassed their derived LWQC, indicating a need for heightened attention to these contaminants. This study elucidates the occurrence and risks of ECs in Chinese WWTPs and provides theoretical and data foundations for EC management in urban sewage facilities.
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This review surveyed global occurrence data for emerging pollutants — including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and PFAS — in wastewater from 1998 to 2021, examining detection methods and contamination levels. The review highlights that many of these compounds are inadequately regulated and poorly removed by conventional wastewater treatment, allowing them to persist in water systems.
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