The environmental distribution and removal of emerging pollutants, highlighting the importance of using microbes as a potential degrader: A review

Chemicals/materials of emerging concern in farmlands: sources, crop uptake and potential human health risks

“…Microplastics are stock pollutants (i.e., pollutants with a long lifetime) that occur in diverse sizes, shapes, colours and physicochemical compositions, making them difficult to degrade by microorganisms in the natural environment. 184 For the mitigation of MPs, physical removal, chemical digestion, photodegradation, oxidation, thermal and enzymatic degradation, bioremediation, and rational fertilization are considered suitable. 185,186 However, the widespread use of microbial and phytoremediation approaches to remove MPs necessitates extensive research.…”

Methods to alleviate the inhibition of sludge anaerobic digestion by emerging contaminants: a review

“…There is currently no legislation governing the reuse of biosolids for agricultural applications, particularly those containing emerging contaminants (Petrie et al 2015). Emerging pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, hormones, pesticides, and household and industrial chemicals, pose potential environmental and human health risks (Saravanan et al 2021;Ahmad et al 2022). Furthermore, emerging pollutants are known to impede the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge, resulting in a decrease in biogas productivity (Tawfik and ElBatrawy 2012).…”

“…The presence of emerging pollutants in the sludge causes serious problems, notably in agricultural sectors, and these emerging pollutants also have a detrimental impact on the efficacy of the anaerobic digestion process; thus, sludge treatment and removal of emerging pollutants are high priorities (Jelic et al 2011;Ahmad et al 2022). The sludge produced by wastewater treatment facilities mostly comprises emerging contaminants that need to be eliminated prior to agriculture uses (Sena et al 2010).…”

Integrating Reactive Chlorine Species Generation with H2 Evolution in a Multifunctional Photoelectrochemical System for Low Operational Carbon Emissions Saline Sewage Treatment

“…(i) WWTPs are powerless to remove non-biodegradable emerging organic pollutants (EOPs). 5,6 As a result, EOPs have been frequently detected in surface water and groundwater, adversely affecting human and animal health via long-term exposure because most EOPs are persistent in the environment and carcinogenic. (ii) WWTPs suffer high operational carbon emissions, restraining the global decarbonization process.…”

“…Since the last decade, several concerns originating from WWTPs have received widespread attention. (i) WWTPs are powerless to remove non-biodegradable emerging organic pollutants (EOPs). , As a result, EOPs have been frequently detected in surface water and groundwater, adversely affecting human and animal health via long-term exposure because most EOPs are persistent in the environment and carcinogenic. (ii) WWTPs suffer high operational carbon emissions, restraining the global decarbonization process. , The wastewater sector is responsible for 3% of global carbon emissions, while this value is much higher in many European countries (3–10%) because of implementing more stringent effluent standards. , Direct emissions from the fugitive greenhouse gases (GHGs, including CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O) are the primary sources in WWTPs, of which CH 4 and N 2 O are critical sources due to their high global warming potential (25 and 298 times that of CO 2 for CH 4 and N 2 O). , (iii) Specific chemicals are required to be added in activated sludge and disinfection processes, increasing treatment cost and causing secondary pollution.…”