Addressing the Emergence of Trace Organic Compounds in Wastewater, Surface and Drinking Water

摘要

A multitude of reports in recent years have highlighted the alarming emergence of trace organic compounds in various water sources, including industrial pollutants, agricultural runoff, personal can products and pharmaceuticals. Collectively referred to as trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) or contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), their presence in these water sources has boon consistently reported for more than a decade. for example, a study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) of 139 streams in the U.S. detected 82 chemicals in 80 per cent of the tested waterways in 1999 and 2000, and the most common chemicals were steroids, antibiotics, non-prescription drugs, caffeine and insect repellent. This is a serious threat to the environment, as min-iscule amounts of estrogen present in municipal wastewater discharges have been shown to have the ability to decimate wild fish populations living downstream, in a study conducted in the Experimental Lakes Area (ELM in northwestern Ontario. Canada.