Occurrence of Emerging Contaminants in Southeast Asian Environments: Present Status, Challenges, and Future Prospects

Abstract

The status of emerging contaminant (EC) profiles in Southeast Asia is currently unclear and often overshadowed by studies conducted in developed regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia. EC research in Southeast Asia is especially critical due to its high population density and poor sanitation infrastructure that introduce large amounts of ECs into the aquatic environment. This literature Review investigated the status of EC research in 11 Southeast Asian countries. Key pharmaceutical groups such as antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, sulfamethazine, ciprofloxacin, and lincomycin) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (diclofenac, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen) were among the most frequently studied group of ECs, while other significant groups of interests in this Review included per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalate esters (PAEs). With most Southeast Asian countries having agrarian economies and the onset of climate change, the overutilization of antibiotics and pesticides to meet the commercial demand for agriculture and livestock products is a major threat to aquatic environments and even human health in this region. This Review identifies understudied emerging contaminant groups in Southeast Asia such as disinfectants and transformation byproducts and recommends future research directions for Southeast Asia, particularly focusing on seasonal trends of EC input into surface and groundwater environments.

Herbicide use history and weed management in Southeast Asia

“…In a recent review of the journal articles on emerging contaminants in SEA revealed that pesticides were second to pharmaceutical compounds. Among the pesticides, atrazine, glyphosate and paraquat have been identified as emerging contaminants, with atrazine concentrations being reported as way below the standards (Lee et al, 2022). Meanwhile, atrazine and 2,4-D were detected in surface and groundwater samples in Thailand indicating groundwater contamination (Laohaudomchok et al, 2021).…”

Titanium-based MAX-phase with sonocatalytic activity for degradation of oxytetracycline antibiotic

“…Emerging contaminants have become a topic of growing interest in wastewater treatment. Antibiotics are just one of the key emerging contaminants that fall under the heading of pharmaceuticals [12] . The oxytetracycline (OTC), an antibiotic belonging to the tetracycline family, is among the most commonly prescribed and toxic antibiotics [13] , [14] .…”

Modification and Application of Carbon Nanotubes for the Removal of Emerging Contaminants from Wastewater: A Review

“…In this connection, millions of previous studies have been reported that, wastewater has been carrying a series of pollutants including emerging contaminants (ECs) [6][7][8][9][10]. The ECs including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are presents in aquatic system of different locations of the world with higher concentration beyond permissible limit [11][12][13][14][15][16]. One of the pharmaceutical products, the antibiotics are using for killing of human and animal host pathogenic fungi and bacteria [5].…”