This chapter discusses water pollution control and abatement strategies in relation to emerging contaminants. The pollution prevention measures described in the chapter can broadly be categorized into four main areas that are highly interdependent: behavioral changes, new technical solutions to aid remediation of the environment, further research and data availability, and legislation or policy reforms. These main areas have been expanded in detail under 13 subtitles that are not only interdependent but also practical and achievable. The chapter demonstrates that if the proposed measures are collectively taken into consideration, then most of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals, especially the goals relating to water quality, would become a reality. The benefits of pollution control and abatement are widespread and far-reaching and can better the quality of life on the planet.
TopECs, mainly found in wastewater, aquatic environment and soil bring in the latest potential ecological and human health risks. ECs comprise synthetic or naturally occurring mass-produced hazardous chemicals present in our everyday consumer products and microorganisms that have been detected in drinking water at trace concentrations and the associated threat to biota is unknown and in dispute. These uncommonly monitored contaminants have the potential to enter the environment and cause adverse ecological and human health effects (Raghav et al., 2013, Thomaidis et al., 2012). They include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, biocides (pesticides and herbicides), fragrances, plasticizers, hormones, flame retardants, nanoparticles, perfluoroalkyl compounds, chlorinated paraffins, siloxanes, algal toxins, various trace elements including rare earths, radionuclides, endocrine disrupting compounds as well as microorganisms that are less monitored or regulated in the environment among others (Gavrilescu et al., 2015; Dulio et al., 2018; Petri et al.,2015; Sarantuyaa & Frank-Kamenetsky, n.d.).
Relative to the conventional or traditional contaminants, ECs have five distinguishing characteristics:
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The existing ECs are numerous and of high diversity with new ones emerging
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Potential health threat to biota
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Trace concentrations (up to nanograms per litre)
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Varying and fluctuating concentrations in different environmental matrices, attributable to varied quantities applied in different regions and inefficient wastewater treatment plants (Gavrilescu et al., 2015).
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Absence of regulation due to scarce information and understanding of ECs on the occurrence, fate, transport and toxicity individually and as complex mixtures (Sarantuyaa & Frank-Kamenetsky, n.d.).