«Emerging contaminants» in water environment: international studies (review)

Summary

The scientific developments over a period of the late 1990-ies up to nowadays in the field of studies of the «emerging contaminants» presence in water environment are considered. Emerging contaminants include mainly pharmaceuticals, illegal drugs, ultraviolet filters, artificial sugar substitutes, biocides, their metabolites and transformation products as well as nanomaterials and micro(nano)-plastics. The progress in this field is now possible owing to the introduction of analytical methods based on liquid chromatography/mass-spectrometry into the laboratory practice. The method provides for identifying and determining polar contaminants in water environment, their metabolites and transformation products at the concentration level of ng/l. The applied mass-spectrometric detectors are characterized by the high sensitivity and selectivity. The improved techniques that provide for the higher efficiency of removing emerging contaminants from wastewater compared to the traditional processes are presented. Modern approaches to the evaluation of the toxicity of the contaminants under consideration in the situations when low concentrations of these substances in mixtures have a long-term impact on non-target organisms are discussed.

Key words

wastewater , aquatic environment , emerging contaminants , liquid chromatography/mass-spectrometry , contaminant transformation products