of these pollutants in the environment to save ourselves. In this regard, the first part
of the chapter focuses on the various sources of organic pollutants, their transport
process, and their impact on human health.
The second part of the chapter explores the recent possible solutions reported for
removing these organic pollutants from the water. The treatment methods are
selected based on their performance efficiency and their feasibility in employing
them as remediation technology. The major treatment methods covered in this
chapter are adsorption, photocatalytic process, advanced oxidation process, electrochemical methods, and bioremediation. Adsorption using carbon nanospheres are
reported with 100% removal efficiency. All the photocatalytic materials covered in
this chapter possesses degradation efficiency above 91% for the degradation of
organic dyes.
The bioremediation section details the various species of microorganism reported
for the degradation of pesticides in the water. Finally, the technological gaps existing
in this field to be addressed in near future are highlighted.
Keywords Organic Pollutants · Water · Environment · Remediation · Health ·
Harmful Effects, Hazardous Chemicals, Human Health · Adsorption ·
Bioremediation
13.1 Introduction
During the second half of the twentieth century, it has been found that numerous
organic contaminants having harmful side effects exist in water bodies. These
contaminants enter the water bodies mainly due to industrial and agricultural practices. The usage of organic chemicals in sectors, such as flame retardants, pesticides,
pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and textiles has increased after the industrial revolution. This increased consumption of organic chemicals is due to the
increase in global population. Most of the synthesized organic compounds still
have wide range of applications in human life, but their residues enter the water
cycle and pose threats to the environment. So, an organic substance with an elevated
risk to harm the environment is referred as organic pollutant.
The first commonly known organic pollutant is dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane,
an organochlorine used as an insecticide to protect crops from damage. Dyes, such as
rhodamine B, methylene blue, and acid red, are used in textile industries also
contribute as organic pollutant. Effluents from dyeing industry percolate down the
soil and even make the ground water colored. Organic pollutants tend to remain in
the soil and in the environment for longer years due to their poor biodegradability.
In recent times, many methods have been studied for treating organic pollutants.
Some of such methods are absorption/adsorption, biological methods, electrochemical, and photocatalysis. Absorption/adsorption using activated carbon prepared
from different precursors is generally reported widely in the literature (Menya
et al. 2018; Li et al. 2019). In the biodegradation process, microorganisms, such as
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G. Dheenadayalan and R. Thiruvengadathan
of the chapter focuses on the various sources of organic pollutants, their transport
process, and their impact on human health.
The second part of the chapter explores the recent possible solutions reported for
removing these organic pollutants from the water. The treatment methods are
selected based on their performance efficiency and their feasibility in employing
them as remediation technology. The major treatment methods covered in this
chapter are adsorption, photocatalytic process, advanced oxidation process, electrochemical methods, and bioremediation. Adsorption using carbon nanospheres are
reported with 100% removal efficiency. All the photocatalytic materials covered in
this chapter possesses degradation efficiency above 91% for the degradation of
organic dyes.
The bioremediation section details the various species of microorganism reported
for the degradation of pesticides in the water. Finally, the technological gaps existing
in this field to be addressed in near future are highlighted.
Keywords Organic Pollutants · Water · Environment · Remediation · Health ·
Harmful Effects, Hazardous Chemicals, Human Health · Adsorption ·
Bioremediation
13.1 Introduction
During the second half of the twentieth century, it has been found that numerous
organic contaminants having harmful side effects exist in water bodies. These
contaminants enter the water bodies mainly due to industrial and agricultural practices. The usage of organic chemicals in sectors, such as flame retardants, pesticides,
pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and textiles has increased after the industrial revolution. This increased consumption of organic chemicals is due to the
increase in global population. Most of the synthesized organic compounds still
have wide range of applications in human life, but their residues enter the water
cycle and pose threats to the environment. So, an organic substance with an elevated
risk to harm the environment is referred as organic pollutant.
The first commonly known organic pollutant is dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane,
an organochlorine used as an insecticide to protect crops from damage. Dyes, such as
rhodamine B, methylene blue, and acid red, are used in textile industries also
contribute as organic pollutant. Effluents from dyeing industry percolate down the
soil and even make the ground water colored. Organic pollutants tend to remain in
the soil and in the environment for longer years due to their poor biodegradability.
In recent times, many methods have been studied for treating organic pollutants.
Some of such methods are absorption/adsorption, biological methods, electrochemical, and photocatalysis. Absorption/adsorption using activated carbon prepared
from different precursors is generally reported widely in the literature (Menya
et al. 2018; Li et al. 2019). In the biodegradation process, microorganisms, such as
502
G. Dheenadayalan and R. Thiruvengadathan