Chemical Contaminants of Water: Evaluation Methods, Environmental Risk, and Treatment Process

Goals 3 and 6 of the UN's 2030 agenda seek that all human beings enjoy a healthy life and have access to safe drinking water, and sanitation in their homes. Despite the efforts that have been made, these goals are far from being met because of many children, and adults are still dying from contact with hazardous chemicals, and gastrointestinal diseases associated with the consumption of water contaminated by industrial wastewater that is discharged into healthy water bodies without any treatment. Thus, in this chapter, we present techniques, and methods for assessing the environmental and health risks of chemical contaminants in drinking water, and wastewater, with emphasis on their harmfulness, toxicity, bioaccumulation, biomagnification, and biotransfer. Finally, we address techniques applied to the treatment of chemical contaminants, the challenges that arise when assessing risks, the standards that regulate the incorporation of contaminants, and the parameters established to avoid overloading ecosystems.