Emerging Contaminants in Drinking Water: Implications for Public Health and Water Treatment
Abstract
Emerging contaminants (ECs) in drinking water have become an important issue of concern in the world because of their prevalence, persistence, and the possible dangers they pose to human health. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are those pollutants. Their long-term release and biological activity are of concern due to long-term exposure and the impact of accumulation despite the fact that they are typically found in low concentrations. The study is a narrative review, which examines the vital sources, phenomena, and routes of ECs in the drinking water systems. The greatest contributors are the wastewater treatment plants effluents, agricultural runoffs, industry runoffs, and urban activities that carry them into surface water and groundwater used as drinking water sources. The other consequence of EC exposure on the health of the population observed in the review is the interference with endocrine systems, chronic toxicity and spread of antimicrobial resistance. The efficacy of the traditional and modern water treatment technologies is critically compared. Even though the traditional processes have low removal efficiency, emerging methods such as membrane filtration, adsorption, and advanced oxidation processes have high efficiency but are most likely associated with high costs and operational complexities. In general,…
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