About this Research Topic
Dozens of emerging pollutants such as human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, personal care products, perfluorinated or polybrominated compounds are present in the different environmental compartments due to the diversity and intensity of human activities, carried out without sufficient prevention, regulation, or mitigation measures. The frequent detection of these molecules in the environment is of continued concern due to their persistence and potential hazardous effect on public health. These environmental compartments include the atmosphere, surface water, soil, and biota, where water is the main impacted compartment. This problem, therefore, demands continuous monitoring. Special attention should be paid to effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), due to the fact that some of these emerging pollutants are just partially degraded, meaning that WWTPs act as a pollution source to water bodies.
Methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) mass techniques are very accurate, precise, and versatile. However, the associated cost needed for trained personnel and expensive infrastructure can limit the number of samples that are analyzed. In addition to this, these methods require laborious pre-treatment which can delay early diagnosis.
To provide essential information about the presence and the environmental impact of these emerging compounds it is necessary to develop, implement and apply new methods that are accurate and precise. At the same time, it is also necessary to allow for the analysis of a large number of samples, preferably at the study site, to minimize analysis times, generate rapid alerts, and take appropriate measures.
The aim of this Research Topic is to better understand the fate of anthropogenic pollutants in different water matrices, including effluents from WWTPs, as well as highlight the work of innovative analytical methods used to address emerging pollutant detection and quantification.
This Research Topic will focus on the following major themes:
• New analytical detection methods, devices, or molecules, which have the potential for practical applications.
• Diagnosis of the impact of emerging environmental pollutants using advanced alternative methods.
We welcome reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, data reports, methods, and full original research articles focusing on the themes listed above.
Methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) mass techniques are very accurate, precise, and versatile. However, the associated cost needed for trained personnel and expensive infrastructure can limit the number of samples that are analyzed. In addition to this, these methods require laborious pre-treatment which can delay early diagnosis.
To provide essential information about the presence and the environmental impact of these emerging compounds it is necessary to develop, implement and apply new methods that are accurate and precise. At the same time, it is also necessary to allow for the analysis of a large number of samples, preferably at the study site, to minimize analysis times, generate rapid alerts, and take appropriate measures.
The aim of this Research Topic is to better understand the fate of anthropogenic pollutants in different water matrices, including effluents from WWTPs, as well as highlight the work of innovative analytical methods used to address emerging pollutant detection and quantification.
This Research Topic will focus on the following major themes:
• New analytical detection methods, devices, or molecules, which have the potential for practical applications.
• Diagnosis of the impact of emerging environmental pollutants using advanced alternative methods.
We welcome reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, data reports, methods, and full original research articles focusing on the themes listed above.
Keywords: WWTP, High-performance liquid chromatography, emerging pollutants, pharmaceuticals, detection methods, environmental impact, groundwater, water, analytical methods, mass techniques, environmental diagnosis
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
