The first one is the chemicals which are newly established into the ecosystem
e.g. industrial chemicals which formed recently. The second one is regarding those
compounds which have entered in environment in the past but are detected recently
in the environment. The third one is same as the second one but they have caused
harmful effects on ecosystems or humans [70].
Sources of ECs pollution may be point such as urban and industry or diffuse like
agriculture. Point sources directly discharge the ECs into water bodies where their
concluding fate is of primary concern as they may transport in the aqueous phase,
degrade, adsorb into sediments [37]. However, in the case of diffused source of
pollution, various properties of ECs such as their volatility, polarity, adsorption
efficiency, persistence as well as interacting compartments determine their transport
from source to the sink [31, 38]. Various types of emerging pollutants are displayed
in Table 1.
3.1 Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs)
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products or PPCPs broadly consolidates the
products pertaining to healthcare or medical requirement of humans and/or animals.
PPCPs have been lately recognized as emerging contaminant owing to their continual presence in the aquatic environment thereby increasing the interest in their
safety PPCPs over past three decades [88]. PPCPs are released in the environment
through various sources including domestic wastewater, water treatment plants
(WTPs) and hospital discharge [52, 54]. Amongst these, hospital effluents often
show high frequency and concentration of pharmaceuticals [51, 65]. It is possible
that the contaminants released into the aqueous environment from the source may
preserve their initial concentrations and/or change their structure and convert into
active or inactive forms throughout their lifespan. Generally, PPCPs are found in
surface water, groundwater, drinking water as well as sewage at concentrations
ranging from ppt (ng/L) to ppb (lg/L) [22]. It is likely that from the all the
pharmaceuticals products sold approximately 65% are never ingested [84].
Additionally, enormous amounts of pharmaceutical products including inflammatory drugs and antibiotics do not even pass the sewage treatment. These are used by
veterinarians for treating cattle feedlot and from there directly enter the surface
water through run off during rainfall [14, 24].
PPCPs have been classified into multiple categories on the basis of their characteristics and usage. Pharmaceuticals classes include antibiotics, analgesics, steroid hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs, cytostatic drugs blood lipid regulators and
b-blockers etc. [79] whereas types of Personal care products (PCPs) include fragrances, bactericides/disinfectants, insect repellents, preservatives and sunscreen
ultraviolet (UV) filters [51, 54, 120]. Parabens are basically esters of
para-hydroxybenzoic acid and may either contain an alkyl or benzyl group as side
chain. These are mostly used in the form of preservatives in various products
including food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals [43, 53]. DEET is widely used
Types of Water Pollutants: Conventional and Emerging
29
e.g. industrial chemicals which formed recently. The second one is regarding those
compounds which have entered in environment in the past but are detected recently
in the environment. The third one is same as the second one but they have caused
harmful effects on ecosystems or humans [70].
Sources of ECs pollution may be point such as urban and industry or diffuse like
agriculture. Point sources directly discharge the ECs into water bodies where their
concluding fate is of primary concern as they may transport in the aqueous phase,
degrade, adsorb into sediments [37]. However, in the case of diffused source of
pollution, various properties of ECs such as their volatility, polarity, adsorption
efficiency, persistence as well as interacting compartments determine their transport
from source to the sink [31, 38]. Various types of emerging pollutants are displayed
in Table 1.
3.1 Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs)
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products or PPCPs broadly consolidates the
products pertaining to healthcare or medical requirement of humans and/or animals.
PPCPs have been lately recognized as emerging contaminant owing to their continual presence in the aquatic environment thereby increasing the interest in their
safety PPCPs over past three decades [88]. PPCPs are released in the environment
through various sources including domestic wastewater, water treatment plants
(WTPs) and hospital discharge [52, 54]. Amongst these, hospital effluents often
show high frequency and concentration of pharmaceuticals [51, 65]. It is possible
that the contaminants released into the aqueous environment from the source may
preserve their initial concentrations and/or change their structure and convert into
active or inactive forms throughout their lifespan. Generally, PPCPs are found in
surface water, groundwater, drinking water as well as sewage at concentrations
ranging from ppt (ng/L) to ppb (lg/L) [22]. It is likely that from the all the
pharmaceuticals products sold approximately 65% are never ingested [84].
Additionally, enormous amounts of pharmaceutical products including inflammatory drugs and antibiotics do not even pass the sewage treatment. These are used by
veterinarians for treating cattle feedlot and from there directly enter the surface
water through run off during rainfall [14, 24].
PPCPs have been classified into multiple categories on the basis of their characteristics and usage. Pharmaceuticals classes include antibiotics, analgesics, steroid hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs, cytostatic drugs blood lipid regulators and
b-blockers etc. [79] whereas types of Personal care products (PCPs) include fragrances, bactericides/disinfectants, insect repellents, preservatives and sunscreen
ultraviolet (UV) filters [51, 54, 120]. Parabens are basically esters of
para-hydroxybenzoic acid and may either contain an alkyl or benzyl group as side
chain. These are mostly used in the form of preservatives in various products
including food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals [43, 53]. DEET is widely used
Types of Water Pollutants: Conventional and Emerging
29