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International Policies on Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water
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Microplastics and other emerging contaminants including PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and endocrine disruptors are increasingly detected in drinking water worldwide, yet existing regulatory frameworks and treatment systems were not designed to address them. This chapter reviews international policies across WHO, EU, and USEPA frameworks and identifies critical enforcement gaps that leave populations exposed to these persistent contaminants.
Emerging contaminants are a diverse group of man-made or naturally occurring chemicals that are not commonly monitored in the environment with adverse ecological and human health effects. They are regarded as emerging contaminants because they were initially excluded from regular monitoring and regulatory frameworks. The contaminants exist as personal care products, pharmaceuticals, polyfluoroalkyl substances, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, microplastics, nanomaterials, and industrial chemicals and by-products. They have been reported to originate from different anthropogenic activities such as wastewater discharge, industrial waste disposal, agricultural runoff, and mining. In recent times, they have been detected in drinking water and poses dangers to human health and ecological stability. This chapter provides overview on the various existing emerging contaminants and delineate various policies across the globe which can help to mitigate these substances in drinking water.
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Environmental Policy and Governance of Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water: A Comparative Analysis of Global Regulations and Remediation Strategies
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This review compares how different countries and international bodies regulate emerging contaminants in drinking water, including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Researchers found significant gaps and inconsistencies between regulatory frameworks, with many countries lacking specific standards for these newer pollutants. The study calls for more harmonized global policies and investments in advanced water treatment technologies to address these growing threats to drinking water safety.
Effects and Global Diversity of Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water
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Emerging contaminants including microplastics, PFAS, and pharmaceuticals are widely distributed in drinking water globally, with conventional treatment methods inadequate to remove many of them and significant regulatory gaps in low- and middle-income nations. Advanced treatment technologies and sustainable approaches like biochar adsorption and bioremediation show promise but require stronger policy frameworks to achieve meaningful protection.
Global Occurrence and Impact of Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental and Health Effects
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This comparative analysis reviews the global occurrence of emerging drinking water contaminants — including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, microplastics, and PFAS — across different regions and evaluates their associated health and environmental risks.
Sources and Types of Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water
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Microplastics are identified as a major class of emerging drinking water contaminants alongside PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and endocrine disruptors, entering water supplies through inadequately treated wastewater, agricultural runoff, landfill leachate, and aging infrastructure. Even at trace concentrations, these contaminants bioaccumulate and pose long-term health risks including hormonal disruption and carcinogenicity, underscoring the need for advanced detection and treatment standards.
Research progress on source, risk assessment, and management of emerging pollutants in drinking water.
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This Chinese review covers emerging drinking water pollutants including microplastics, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and antibiotics, examining their sources, environmental pathways, and health risk frameworks. The authors highlight microplastics as a particularly complex challenge due to their ability to adsorb and co-transport other toxic contaminants into drinking water supplies.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.