Providing an understanding of the fate and mitigation strategies for emerging and geogenic contaminants in the groundwater: removal techniques and mitigation approaches; treatment strategies, including bioremediation and natural attenuation; environmental assessment, groundwater vulnerability, health effects and regulations.

This volume takes a multidisciplinary approach to study and evaluate the global human vulnerability to the exposure of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in the natural environment. It provides a comprehensive resource on structurally diverse groups of chemical compounds that have adverse effects on the aquatic environment. It explores the global strength, environmental status, chemical risk assessment and management strategies of CECs with relevant modern techniques. The principle focus is on concurrent emerging water quality issues. It defines the impacts of the environmental exposure of trace concentrations of CECs and/or their metabolites and discusses possible technological advances to combat the emerging pollutants. It will be useful to researchers, multi-stakeholder expert groups, policymakers, and graduate students.

With an increased demand for wastewater reuse, groundwater recharge with treated wastewater has been practiced across the globe. As a result, groundwater quality deteriorates by emerging micropollutants from various anthropogenic origins, including untreated wastewater, seepage of landfill leachate, and runoff from agricultural lands. The fate of such emerging and geogenic contaminants in subsurface systems, especially in the groundwater, depends on several factors. Physicochemical properties of contaminants such as octanol-water partition coefficient, dissociation constant, water solubility, susceptibility to biodegradation under anaerobic conditions, and environmental persistence under diverse geological and pH conditions play a critical role during subsurface mass flow. Thus, advanced wastewater treatment techniques, followed by implementing stricter guidelines, are some of the measures that can safeguard water resources. This book, in general, gives an understanding of the fate and mitigation strategies for emerging and geogenic contaminants in the groundwater. The first and second sections provide a detailed insight into various removal techniques and mitigation approaches. Possible treatment strategies, including bioremediation and natural attenuation, are also covered in those sections. Environmental assessment, groundwater vulnerability, health effects, and regulations pertaining to various contaminants are systematically presented in the third section.

"This study investigated the nature of colloids associated with wastewater effluents. It also evaluated the association of emerging contaminants with these wastewater colloids. Two distinct emerging contaminants were investigated to gain general insight into the potential importance of emerging contaminant interactions with wastewater colloids. The first and major component of the study was to evaluate the association of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) with colloids and the removal of ARGs by membrance processes. This is designated in the report as Part I. The second aspect of the study was to obtain preliminary data on the potential association of nonylphenol with a range of colloidal size fractions and to evaluate their removal in wastewater treatment plants. This is designated Part II." -- page v.

The presence of pollutants known as emerging contaminants in water and wastewater is a topic of growing interest. Emerging contaminants, which include endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), are compounds that remain relatively unknown, although their adverse effects have been proven. Emerging contaminants are not satisfactorily removed by traditional treatment methods; therefore, there is a need for innovative techniques. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been recognized as successful removal methods for these problematic pollutants. However, technical success is not the only factor that must be considered. Process engineering, environmental, and economic and social parameters were considered. A holistic analysis was completed using a ranking system to determine the performance of several AOPs (ozonation, UV, photocatalysis, the Fenton reaction, and integrated processes). Ultimately, H2O2/O3 presented the highest average ranking (3.45), with the other processes showing similar performance, with the exception of TiO2 photocatalysis (2.11).