3.2.1 Emerging Pollutants: Assessing their effects
on nature and humans and their behaviour
and treatment opportunities
In recent years, concern has been raised with respect to the presence of some emerging pol-
lutants in treated municipal drinking water. Since removal rates with conventional wastewater
treatment processes are low for several emerging contaminants, discharge of wastewater ef-
fluents into receiving waters is a major environmental and health concern. Even though emerg-
ing pollutants have been detected, mainly in surface waters and wastewater, concern about
their presence in groundwater bodies has also been reported.
Future research on emerging pollutants in water from urban or agricultural sources should
deepen our understanding of the following issues: What are the new contaminants, such as
polar compounds, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, perfluorinated and organosilicon
compounds, endocrine disruptors, disinfection by-products (DBPs0, or emerging pathogens (in-
cluding antibiotic-resistant bacteria and viruses), cyanotoxins and nanomaterials? How can we
predict their environmental behaviour in surface water, sediments, soil and groundwater? Which
innovative rapid analysis and detection systems could be developed? What impact do emerging
pollutants have on human health (toxicology) and on ecosystems (ecotoxicology)? How can
we prevent the emergence of these pollutants and the risks thereof? To what extent are these
contaminants removed, or modified, by natural processes in water and soil, or by the techniques
used in water treatment or reuse? What types of technologies (including post-treatments)
should be applied for a more efficient removal of these compounds? Should these compounds
be removed in decentralised units before entering in sewers? Which health risks could result
from new water management practices, such as water reuse in urban areas? How do we identify
and manage the ‘next generation’ of emerging pollutants?
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