Emerging Contaminants - 2025

Emerging Contaminants

Class Summary

Emerging contaminants (ECs), also referred to as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), are unregulated pollutants increasingly detected in water, soil, and air, raising alarm due to their potential health and environmental risks. These include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), and other persistent chemicals. ECs enter the environment through wastewater, household products, and industrial discharge, and resist degradation, thus accumulating in ecosystems and living organisms. While traditional water treatment methods can reduce some contaminants, complete removal often requires costly advanced treatment technologies like reverse osmosis and ozonation. Regulatory focus is intensifying, but a lack of consistent monitoring and removal strategies highlights the urgent need for innovation and policy reform.

Key Points on Emerging Contaminants

· Terminology: EC, ECC, CEC, PPCP, PFAS, EDCs, and others describe various groups of concern.

· Contaminants Overview: Found in air, soil, and water; can be physical, chemical, biological, or radiological; some are harmful only at certain concentrations.

· EPA’s Contaminant Candidate List (CCL): Identifies contaminants not yet regulated but likely to be, based on risk. The latest (5th) CCL includes 66 chemicals, 3 PFAS groups, cyanotoxins, DBPs, and 12 microbes.

· Major Types of Emerging Contaminants: PFAS ('Forever Chemicals'), GenX Chemicals, EDCs.

· Treatment Challenges: Conventional methods are ineffective against many ECs; advanced technologies like membrane bioreactors, oxidation, carbon filtration, and reverse osmosis offer better removal but are expensive.

· Environmental & Health Impacts: Linked to hormone disruption, reproductive issues, immune effects, and cancer; found in water supplies, household products, and wildlife.

· Regulatory and Monitoring Gaps: Limited regulations and health advisory limits often below current detection capabilities; widespread environmental exposure.