disrupters which are carcinogenic chemicals having highly detrimental impacts on
the endocrine, nervous, and reproduction system. Due to these harmful health
impacts, long-term persistence, and accumulation in the environment, these
pesticides have been recognized as persistent organic pollutants in Stockholm
Convention on persistent organic pollutants (Rani et al. 2017).
The high weight of chlorine in these pesticides makes them denser than water.
These compounds are mostly prepared from chlorine or chlorine-containing
chemicals such as hydrogen chloride. These pesticides make their way into
organism’s bodies through skin, lungs, or even absorbed through the gut wall.
Endosulfans, HCHs, lindane, and cyclodienes can penetrate through skin easily;
however DDT, methoxychlor, mirex, and dicofol have less absorption ability (Singh
et al. 2016).
8.6
Remediation of Persistent Organic Pollutants
As the pollution caused by POPs in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems has posed
serious environmental and health impacts. It is necessary to remove these pollutants
from environmental compartments such as from water, air, soil, and sediments. The
river water is considered to be the direct measure of POPs due to the agricultural and
industrial runoff. These highly toxic and hazardous chemicals in contaminated water
cause a number of diseases in humans and other living organisms. So it is necessary
to clean the water to be used by animals and humans. Such treatments should be
adopted that not only transform the harmful complex chemicals into harmless
products but also ensure compliance with legal threshold standards.
The conventional wastewater treatment methods are the common methods used to
treat wastewater or drinking water and this treatment includes different stages such
as preliminary, primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment processes to decontaminate water. These methods regulate pH, COD, BOD, removal of heavy metals, etc.;
however these methods cannot remove POPs from wastewater effectively as these
pollutants are highly resistant to conventional treatment methods such as filtration,
coagulation, flocculation, and chlorine treatment (Benitez et al. 2001). However,
several advanced treatment methods have been applied and analyzed for the removal
of POPs such as bioremediation, adsorption process, membrane technology, and
advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) (Ribeiro et al. 2015). Some of the methods
that are proven to successfully remove POPs are discussed here.
8.6.1 Bioremediation
The biological treatment process using microorganisms, enzymes, or plants for
degradation/decomposition and immobilization of organic waste compounds such
as hydrocarbons, pesticides, or persistent organic pollutants (POPs) present in water
or soil is referred to as bioremediation; it is an evolving technique for quality
improvement of water and soil (Singh and Ward 2004). The bioremediation process
8 Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): Sources, Types, Impacts, and Their. . .
223
the endocrine, nervous, and reproduction system. Due to these harmful health
impacts, long-term persistence, and accumulation in the environment, these
pesticides have been recognized as persistent organic pollutants in Stockholm
Convention on persistent organic pollutants (Rani et al. 2017).
The high weight of chlorine in these pesticides makes them denser than water.
These compounds are mostly prepared from chlorine or chlorine-containing
chemicals such as hydrogen chloride. These pesticides make their way into
organism’s bodies through skin, lungs, or even absorbed through the gut wall.
Endosulfans, HCHs, lindane, and cyclodienes can penetrate through skin easily;
however DDT, methoxychlor, mirex, and dicofol have less absorption ability (Singh
et al. 2016).
8.6
Remediation of Persistent Organic Pollutants
As the pollution caused by POPs in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems has posed
serious environmental and health impacts. It is necessary to remove these pollutants
from environmental compartments such as from water, air, soil, and sediments. The
river water is considered to be the direct measure of POPs due to the agricultural and
industrial runoff. These highly toxic and hazardous chemicals in contaminated water
cause a number of diseases in humans and other living organisms. So it is necessary
to clean the water to be used by animals and humans. Such treatments should be
adopted that not only transform the harmful complex chemicals into harmless
products but also ensure compliance with legal threshold standards.
The conventional wastewater treatment methods are the common methods used to
treat wastewater or drinking water and this treatment includes different stages such
as preliminary, primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment processes to decontaminate water. These methods regulate pH, COD, BOD, removal of heavy metals, etc.;
however these methods cannot remove POPs from wastewater effectively as these
pollutants are highly resistant to conventional treatment methods such as filtration,
coagulation, flocculation, and chlorine treatment (Benitez et al. 2001). However,
several advanced treatment methods have been applied and analyzed for the removal
of POPs such as bioremediation, adsorption process, membrane technology, and
advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) (Ribeiro et al. 2015). Some of the methods
that are proven to successfully remove POPs are discussed here.
8.6.1 Bioremediation
The biological treatment process using microorganisms, enzymes, or plants for
degradation/decomposition and immobilization of organic waste compounds such
as hydrocarbons, pesticides, or persistent organic pollutants (POPs) present in water
or soil is referred to as bioremediation; it is an evolving technique for quality
improvement of water and soil (Singh and Ward 2004). The bioremediation process
8 Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): Sources, Types, Impacts, and Their. . .
223