Table 15.1 Examples of prominent micropollutants frequently found in waters, and related
characteristics. Adapted with permission from Hochstrat et al. (2015) – Table 1.1 (© IWA
Publishing 2015), and Solé and Schlosser (2015) – Table 13.1 (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH &
Co. KGaA, Boschstr. 12, 69469 Weinheim, Germany)
Compound(s)
Sources & uses
Contaminated
environmental
compartments /
spread
(Potential) hazardous
effects
Bisphenol A (BPA)
Used in polycarbonate polymer and
epoxy resin production; also a degradation product of
polybrominated
flame retardants
Leaching from
plastics including
epoxy resin-coated
water pipes; contaminant in WWTP
effluents and
receiving waters,
and seepage from
landfills
Endocrine disrupting
chemical (EDC); adverse
effects on growth, reproduction, and development in wildlife
Carbamazepine (CBZ) Antiepileptic
Contaminant in
WWTP effluents
(communal and
hospital wastewaters) and receiving
waters due to insufficient removal in
WWTPs, groundwater/bank filtrate
contamination due
to a particularly
high mobility and
persistence
Several adverse effects
including blurred vision,
drowsiness, headache,
and birth defects
Diclofenac (DF)
Anti-inflammatory
Contaminant in
WWTP effluents
(communal and
hospital wastewaters) and receiving
waters due to
incomplete removal
in WWTPs, considerably mobile thus
(potentially) causing groundwater/
bank filtrate
contamination
Renal insufficiency in
carcass-eating wildlife
(vultures) resulting in
reduced/missing elimination of corpse pathogens; harmful to
freshwater fish species
N,N0 -Dimethylsulfamide
(DMS)
Formed by microbial transformation
in soil from the
pesticides (fungicides) tolylfluanid
and dichlofluanid
Contaminates surface and groundwater due to its high
mobility, is not
removed by riverbank filtration and
hence can enter
drinking water
treatment processes
Formation of the carcinogenic
N-nitrosodimethylamine
(NDMA) from DMS
during ozonation (used
for disinfection of drinking water)
(continued)
15 Biotechnologies for Water Treatment
337
characteristics. Adapted with permission from Hochstrat et al. (2015) – Table 1.1 (© IWA
Publishing 2015), and Solé and Schlosser (2015) – Table 13.1 (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH &
Co. KGaA, Boschstr. 12, 69469 Weinheim, Germany)
Compound(s)
Sources & uses
Contaminated
environmental
compartments /
spread
(Potential) hazardous
effects
Bisphenol A (BPA)
Used in polycarbonate polymer and
epoxy resin production; also a degradation product of
polybrominated
flame retardants
Leaching from
plastics including
epoxy resin-coated
water pipes; contaminant in WWTP
effluents and
receiving waters,
and seepage from
landfills
Endocrine disrupting
chemical (EDC); adverse
effects on growth, reproduction, and development in wildlife
Carbamazepine (CBZ) Antiepileptic
Contaminant in
WWTP effluents
(communal and
hospital wastewaters) and receiving
waters due to insufficient removal in
WWTPs, groundwater/bank filtrate
contamination due
to a particularly
high mobility and
persistence
Several adverse effects
including blurred vision,
drowsiness, headache,
and birth defects
Diclofenac (DF)
Anti-inflammatory
Contaminant in
WWTP effluents
(communal and
hospital wastewaters) and receiving
waters due to
incomplete removal
in WWTPs, considerably mobile thus
(potentially) causing groundwater/
bank filtrate
contamination
Renal insufficiency in
carcass-eating wildlife
(vultures) resulting in
reduced/missing elimination of corpse pathogens; harmful to
freshwater fish species
N,N0 -Dimethylsulfamide
(DMS)
Formed by microbial transformation
in soil from the
pesticides (fungicides) tolylfluanid
and dichlofluanid
Contaminates surface and groundwater due to its high
mobility, is not
removed by riverbank filtration and
hence can enter
drinking water
treatment processes
Formation of the carcinogenic
N-nitrosodimethylamine
(NDMA) from DMS
during ozonation (used
for disinfection of drinking water)
(continued)
15 Biotechnologies for Water Treatment
337