Emerging pollutants pharmaceutically active compounds

Recent studies indicate the potential widespread occurrence of low-level concentrations (ng-pg L-1) of emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals, hormones, personal protection products, household chemicals and their metabolites in the aquatic environment (Halling-Sprensen etal., 1998 Boyd etal., 2003 Sigg etal., 2006), particularly in wastewater. Some of these compounds are of particular concern because of their high levels of biological activity. Many of these substances are present at only very low levels, and conventional sampling methods (i.e., spot sampling) often require the... 

Pharmaceuticals and pesticides also represent emerging pollutants present at low concentration, but with potentially strong effects on living organisms. Such compounds can be treated in a similar way to that described for the hormone active compounds [107]. 

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