ABSTRACT
The presence of emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment in trace amounts and the inability of conventional wastewater treatment processes to eradicate them bring new challenges to the wastewater management system. These contaminants enter the marine system mainly via municipal wastewater discharge. Several household products, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, cosmetics, steroid hormones, etc., are the primary source of the emerging contaminants. These can even enter the environment from the fertilizer and other products as agricultural run-off. They are present in the wastewater in low concentrations, and the lack of proper quantification techniques results in under-reporting of various emerging contaminants entering the wastewater treatment systems. In this context, it has emerged as a matter of grave concern to eliminate these contaminants via a sustainable route. Several advanced treatment methods have been investigated to remove these contaminants, including adsorption, membrane technology, advanced oxidation, and biological processes. This chapter identifies the different types of emerging contaminants and their sources, quantification techniques, and treatment methods. Furthermore, different environmental assessment instruments were presented to select a sustainable approach toward eliminating these contaminants.
