Green Strategies for Removal of Emerging Contaminants from Aqueous System

The presence and persistence of emerging contaminants (ECs) like pharmaceuticals, endocrine-disrupting compounds, personal care products, pesticides, surfactants, microplastics, or their derivatives have become a major concern. ECs can readily enter into the food chain and negatively affect the health of human beings and animals. The rise of ECs in surface water and groundwater challenges to design and development of remediation procedures that are simple, inexpensive, efficient, and eco-friendly. This book chapter deals with the sources, EC types, and treatment methods for ECs removal. The adsorption, microbial degradation, and anaerobic membrane bioreactors are promising processes for ECs removal. Hence, there is an urgent need for modification of existing technologies or deployment of combined strategies for the removal of ECs and wastewater treatment at a large scale.