Fate and Transport of Emerging Pollutants in Aquatic Environment

This chapter provides an overview of some of the typical and widely publicized emerging pollutants that occur in various environmental matrices. These include, among others, phthalates, environmental endocrine disruptors, microplastics and antibiotics. The text focuses on the different types of these emerging pollutants, their respective characteristics, the main sources of emerging pollutants, their distribution in the environment, and the ecological hazards of these emerging pollutants. In addition to this, biotic and abiotic treatment technologies for emerging pollutants and their migration in wastewater treatment plants are also outlined. Biotic treatment technologies, as the main removal methods of emerging pollutants, mainly include aerobic sludge, anaerobic sludge, isolated bacterial strains, genetically engineered bacteria, and bioactivated carbon; and abiotic treatment technologies mainly include adsorption, coagulation, membrane separation, and chemical oxidation. Various biotic and abiotic treatment technologies have been shown to have a good effect on the treatment of emerging pollutants. However, compared with abiotic treatments, biotic treatments have the advantages of economy, easy operation and no secondary pollution. Therefore, the fate of emerging pollutants in different biotic treatment units of actual wastewater treatment plants in countries around the world are briefly described. This chapter summarizes the sources, transport, and treatment of emerging pollutants, which will help to raise awareness of emerging pollutants and make targeted treatment plans for their transport in the environment.