We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
A Review of Emerging Environmental Contaminants of Global Concern
AI summary Read the abstract
This review covers major categories of emerging environmental contaminants including pharmaceuticals, microplastics, pesticides, and endocrine disruptors, summarizing their sources, ecological effects, and detection methods. Recent advances in sensitive analytical techniques have accelerated the identification and monitoring of these pollutants.
Emerging contaminants (ECs) represent a broad category of chemicals detected in the environment due to various anthropogenic activities, including everyday domestic, agricultural, and industrial processes. This article highlights major emerging contaminants, their sources, ecological and health effects, and analytical techniques for detecting and quantifying them in the environment. While the presence of these substances in the environment is not a recent revelation, they have recently gained increased attention due to the advancements in more sensitive analytical techniques. These techniques have uncovered the existence of these pollutants in the air, soil, and water, often at extraordinarily low concentrations. Gas chromatography and high-resolution liquid chromatography techniques are used to quantify ECs in samples at parts per million and parts per billion levels respectively. In comparison to rural surroundings, emerging pollutants are typically found in higher concentrations in urban and industrial settings. Exposure to these substances has been associated with several health problems, such as hormonal imbalances, oxidative damage, digestion problems, altered dynamics of the gut microbial community, irregularities in fatty acid metabolism, and molecular damage among others. ECs pose a threat to aquatic life, rendering drinking water unsafe when permissible limits are exceeded. The large surface area to volume ratio of microplastics allows toxic substances to be attached to their surfaces and leach into water bodies. One main potential risk of microplastics is that they can get stuck in the gut of living organisms. Technology developments and the creation of new materials will probably result in the introduction of new categories of pollutants. Understanding the distribution patterns of emerging contaminants is key to formulating effective environmental policies and management strategies hence, a small lifestyle change could result in a significant shift in ECs in the environment.
More Papers Like This
A comprehensive review of emerging environmental contaminants of global concern
AI summary Read the abstract
This review comprehensively examined emerging contaminants including pharmaceuticals, PFAS, endocrine disruptors, and micro- and nano-plastics across environmental matrices, discussing their sources, environmental behavior, toxicological effects, and detection techniques. Advanced methods including LC-MS/MS, ELISA, PCR, and biosensors were highlighted as essential for identifying and quantifying these substances, with ECs implicated in endocrine disruption, antibiotic resistance, and bioaccumulation threatening food safety and public health.
Emerging contaminants – general aspects: sources, substances involved, and quantification
AI summary Read the abstract
This review covers a range of emerging environmental contaminants — including microplastics in water bodies, pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and medical-use metals — discussing their sources, harmful effects, and detection methods. It provides useful context for understanding how microplastics fit into the broader landscape of modern chemical pollution threatening human and ecosystem health.
Occurrence of Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Causes and Effects
AI summary Read the abstract
This review defines and categorizes contaminants of emerging concern including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pesticides, summarizing their sources, environmental occurrence, and potential treatment strategies.
A comprehensive review of emerging contaminants in water sources
AI summary Read the abstract
This comprehensive review examines the origins and environmental significance of emerging contaminants in water sources, including pharmaceuticals, microplastics, endocrine disruptors, and PFAS chemicals. Researchers found that these persistent pollutants exhibit complex behaviors in aquatic systems and pose threats to both ecosystem and human health. The study highlights the need for advanced monitoring and treatment technologies to address the growing challenge of emerging contaminant pollution in water supplies.
Emerging Pollutants in the Environment. Ii. Risks and Mitigation Technologies for Sustainable Environmental Management
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines emerging pollutants—including pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and microplastics—in the environment, assessing their health and ecological risks and summarizing available mitigation technologies for sustainable environmental management.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.