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Emerging contaminants: A scientific challenge without borders
Science of the Total Environment 487 (2014) 747
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Science of the Total Environment journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/scitotenv
Preface
Emerging contaminants: A scientific challenge without borders
Over the last decades, several classes of synthetic or natural chemicals as well as microorganisms have been discovered in the environment that previously had not been detected. Globally, these contaminants could be new classes of unregulated chemicals, chemicals previously known to be present in the environment but showing new documented impacts, daughter chemicals resulting from the transformation and recombination of known chemicals and mixtures of chemicals that, individually, are innocuous but in combination can be harmful for the environment (Khetan and Collins, 2007). Many of these emerging contaminants are detected in the aquatic matrices at low ppb to ppt levels. The main sources of most of these contaminants in the environment are the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents (Kolpin et al., 2002; Verlicchi et al., 2012). Some of these contaminants are persistent in the environment and, either via the food chain or via drinking water, make their way back to humans (Focazio et al., 2008). These contaminants could be as varied as personal care products (e.g. antimicrobial agents and dyes), prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, new classes of pesticides, illicit drugs, industrial chemicals, dyes, etc. In recent years, metallic and carbon-based nanoparticles have joined the list of contaminants of emerging concerns. The wide variety of emerging contaminants that can be found in our environment, the diversity of their chemical structures, the lack of information regarding their transport and transformation mechanisms and their effects on human and ecosystems health are some elements that stimulate the investigations done by the scientific community as well as the increasing concerns of the regulatory agencies. In order to assess the risks associated with these contaminants, key elements must be addressed such as (i) the development of robust, reliable and fast analytical methods, (ii) the fate and behavior of the contaminants in environmental matrices, (iii) the chronic and sub-chronic toxicity of these chemicals and (iv) the impact of long term exposition to these chemicals. Finally, works must be done to decrease the discharge of such chemicals through the development of substitution products and the development of new treatment technologies able to efficiently remove these compounds as well as the proper design of WWTPs (Auriol et al., 2006; Ternes, 2007). This special section contains a selection of key articles presented at the Emerging Contaminants Symposium held during the 96th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition 2013 which took place in Québec City May 26–30. The challenge of emerging contaminants crosses all the traditional discipline borders. In agreement with the philosophy of the 96th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition; “Chemistry Without Borders”, the aim of this symposium was to bring together researches from a large array of disciplines (e.g. environmental chemistry, engineering, ecology, environmental microbiology) to share their works on this multidisciplinary research field. This symposium was dedicated to research on the effects and dynamics of emerging contaminants in the environment
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.05.031 1568-9972/© 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V.
as well as their elimination. It mainly focused on organic and metallic nanomaterials, pharmaceutical compounds, personal care products, endocrine disrupting chemicals, corrosion inhibitors, and other organic contaminants. It contained four sub-sessions: 1– Impact of emerging contaminants on ecosystems (laboratory and field approaches); 2– Dynamics and fate of emergent contaminants in the environment (aquatic systems and soils); 3– Advance in analytical chemistry related to the study of emerging contaminants; 4– Advance in the treatment of emerging contaminants. Globally, this special section highlights the need for multidisciplinary studies to address the concerns associated with the emerging contaminants. Finally we would like to thank the participants of the Emerging Contaminants Symposium, the participants of this special section of STOTEN as well as the reviewers for their valuable and critical comments. References Auriol M, Filali-Meknassi Y, Tyagi RD, Adams CD, Surampalli RY. Endocrine disrupting compounds removal from wastewater, a new challenge. Process Biochem 2006;41:525–39. Focazio MJ, Kolpin DW, Barnes KK, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, Zaugg SD, et al. A national reconnaissance for pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants in the United States — II) untreated drinking water sources. Sci Total Environ 2008;402:201–16. Khetan SK, Collins TJ. Human pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment: a challenge to green chemistry. Chem Rev 2007;107:2319–64. Kolpin DW, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, Thurman EM, Zaugg SD, Barber LB, et al. Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in US streams, 1999–2000: a national reconnaissance. Environ Sci Technol 2002;36:1202–11. Ternes T. The occurrence of micopollutants in the aquatic environment: a new challenge for water management. Water Sci Technol 2007;55:327–32. Verlicchi P, Al Aukidy M, Zambello E. Occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds in urban wastewater: removal, mass load and environmental risk after a secondary treatment — a review. Sci Total Environ 2012;429:123–55.
Jean-Philippe Bellenger Department of Chemistry Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke (Qc), Canada E-mail address: [email protected]. Hubert Cabana Department of Civil Engineering Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke (Qc), Canada E-mail address: [email protected].
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Science of the Total Environment journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/scitotenv
Preface
Emerging contaminants: A scientific challenge without borders
Over the last decades, several classes of synthetic or natural chemicals as well as microorganisms have been discovered in the environment that previously had not been detected. Globally, these contaminants could be new classes of unregulated chemicals, chemicals previously known to be present in the environment but showing new documented impacts, daughter chemicals resulting from the transformation and recombination of known chemicals and mixtures of chemicals that, individually, are innocuous but in combination can be harmful for the environment (Khetan and Collins, 2007). Many of these emerging contaminants are detected in the aquatic matrices at low ppb to ppt levels. The main sources of most of these contaminants in the environment are the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents (Kolpin et al., 2002; Verlicchi et al., 2012). Some of these contaminants are persistent in the environment and, either via the food chain or via drinking water, make their way back to humans (Focazio et al., 2008). These contaminants could be as varied as personal care products (e.g. antimicrobial agents and dyes), prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, new classes of pesticides, illicit drugs, industrial chemicals, dyes, etc. In recent years, metallic and carbon-based nanoparticles have joined the list of contaminants of emerging concerns. The wide variety of emerging contaminants that can be found in our environment, the diversity of their chemical structures, the lack of information regarding their transport and transformation mechanisms and their effects on human and ecosystems health are some elements that stimulate the investigations done by the scientific community as well as the increasing concerns of the regulatory agencies. In order to assess the risks associated with these contaminants, key elements must be addressed such as (i) the development of robust, reliable and fast analytical methods, (ii) the fate and behavior of the contaminants in environmental matrices, (iii) the chronic and sub-chronic toxicity of these chemicals and (iv) the impact of long term exposition to these chemicals. Finally, works must be done to decrease the discharge of such chemicals through the development of substitution products and the development of new treatment technologies able to efficiently remove these compounds as well as the proper design of WWTPs (Auriol et al., 2006; Ternes, 2007). This special section contains a selection of key articles presented at the Emerging Contaminants Symposium held during the 96th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition 2013 which took place in Québec City May 26–30. The challenge of emerging contaminants crosses all the traditional discipline borders. In agreement with the philosophy of the 96th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition; “Chemistry Without Borders”, the aim of this symposium was to bring together researches from a large array of disciplines (e.g. environmental chemistry, engineering, ecology, environmental microbiology) to share their works on this multidisciplinary research field. This symposium was dedicated to research on the effects and dynamics of emerging contaminants in the environment
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.05.031 1568-9972/© 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V.
as well as their elimination. It mainly focused on organic and metallic nanomaterials, pharmaceutical compounds, personal care products, endocrine disrupting chemicals, corrosion inhibitors, and other organic contaminants. It contained four sub-sessions: 1– Impact of emerging contaminants on ecosystems (laboratory and field approaches); 2– Dynamics and fate of emergent contaminants in the environment (aquatic systems and soils); 3– Advance in analytical chemistry related to the study of emerging contaminants; 4– Advance in the treatment of emerging contaminants. Globally, this special section highlights the need for multidisciplinary studies to address the concerns associated with the emerging contaminants. Finally we would like to thank the participants of the Emerging Contaminants Symposium, the participants of this special section of STOTEN as well as the reviewers for their valuable and critical comments. References Auriol M, Filali-Meknassi Y, Tyagi RD, Adams CD, Surampalli RY. Endocrine disrupting compounds removal from wastewater, a new challenge. Process Biochem 2006;41:525–39. Focazio MJ, Kolpin DW, Barnes KK, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, Zaugg SD, et al. A national reconnaissance for pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater contaminants in the United States — II) untreated drinking water sources. Sci Total Environ 2008;402:201–16. Khetan SK, Collins TJ. Human pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment: a challenge to green chemistry. Chem Rev 2007;107:2319–64. Kolpin DW, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, Thurman EM, Zaugg SD, Barber LB, et al. Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in US streams, 1999–2000: a national reconnaissance. Environ Sci Technol 2002;36:1202–11. Ternes T. The occurrence of micopollutants in the aquatic environment: a new challenge for water management. Water Sci Technol 2007;55:327–32. Verlicchi P, Al Aukidy M, Zambello E. Occurrence of pharmaceutical compounds in urban wastewater: removal, mass load and environmental risk after a secondary treatment — a review. Sci Total Environ 2012;429:123–55.
Jean-Philippe Bellenger Department of Chemistry Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke (Qc), Canada E-mail address: [email protected]. Hubert Cabana Department of Civil Engineering Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke (Qc), Canada E-mail address: [email protected].