Environmental Behavior and Effects of Pollutants in Water

摘要

Water pollution caused by anthropogenic activities is one of the major environmental problems in the world.Persistent toxic substances can be divided into two categories,mainly persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals.Persistent toxic chemical pollutants have become a problem of global concern.They have high bioaccumulation properties and are extremely difficult to degrade.They can realize long-distance transmission.They contain carcinogenic and mutagenic factors and have strong endocrine interference.International environmental protection organizations,governments,and researchers all over the world have paid close attention to this issue.A large number of hazardous substances such as heavy metals,petrochemicals,pharmaceuticals,nanomaterials,pesticides,and herbicides are released into the aquatic environment intentionally or unintentionally during industrialization and urbanization,endangering wildlife and human health.However,there are significant differences in environmental behavior and toxicity of different types of pollutants.For example,heavy metals in water may exist in different forms,which in turn may be altered by environmental conditions such as the presence of different types of organic matter,the pH and hardness of the water system,and form transformation,thus affecting their behavior and bioavailability.The biological effects and toxicological mechanisms of organic pollutants are more complex.Some organic pollutants are hydrophobic and tend to accumulate in aquatic organisms,while others are hydrophilic and easily migrate in water.Therefore,studies into the environmental behavior and ecological effects of these pollutants in aquatic environments are required.