Preface
Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life
depends, have become global garbage cans
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Earth’s surface and ground waters are severely affected by the discharge of contaminants. Organic pollutants originate from industrial effluents, domestic sewage,
water treatment plants, urban turn-off, agriculture, aquaculture, pulp and paper
making, food processing, tannery, and various industries. Massive point-source
pollution such as industrial pollution during fabrication, storage, processing, and
transportation is of particular concern because the amount of discharged pollutants is
usually high, thus inducing immediately severe health impact on ecosystems.
Whereas, diffuse pollution such as low pesticide and drug levels in waters induce
diseases in the long run. As a countermeasure, there is a need for efficient methods
and techniques to remove organic pollutants from wastewater. This book reviews the
occurrence, analysis, toxicity, and remediation technologies of water organic pollutants. Chapters discuss the treatment of pollutants such as hydrocarbons,
microplastics and plastics, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pharmaceutical drugs and metabolites, oil spill, petroleum hydrocarbons, personal care
products, tannery waste, and dyes and pigments.
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