Source, treatment, and management options of contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) in water

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are defined as pollutants present in negligible amounts in the environment, which have not been detected previously and cause high-level environmental and health risks. These CECs include pharmaceutical and personal care products, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, persistent organic compounds, disinfection by-products, phthalate compounds, etc. The present chapter reveals the different contamination sources of CECs including point and non-point sources and types of contamination in the context of health and environmental problems. The existing water and wastewater treatment techniques and novel remediation approaches including merits and demerits are discussed in detail. Potential technologies in the treatment of CECs in water and wastewater such as adsorption, advanced oxidation processes, membrane processes, and hybrid techniques are also discussed in the perspective of resilience and implantation. Centralized and de-centralized treatment strategies including novel treatment approaches at point of entry and point of use are well explained with suitable illustration. Safe and sustainable management and treatment approaches including regulatory, citizen science, networking, technological, and other strategies, which have been demonstrated for real-time application, are well elucidated for sustainable management of CECs in different environments.