Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5751314 | Science of The Total Environment | 2017 | 14 Pages |
â¢PCPs have been found in all the continents as EPs in aquatic ecosystems.â¢Fragrances, insect repellants and antiseptics were the most reported PCPs in water.â¢Several PCPs exhibited concentrations above the toxicity threshold for some species.â¢The information about the impact of PCPs in groundwater is very limited.
Personal care products (PCPs) are a diverse group of common household substances used for health, beauty and cleaning purposes. These include disinfectants, fragrances, insect repellents, preservatives and UV filters, among others. Some of them are considered chemicals of emerging concern due to their presence and negative impact on aquatic ecosystems, specially related to endocrine disruption and reproductive disorders. The entry of those chemicals to water bodies occurs mainly through the sewage effluents from wastewater treatment plants due to their incomplete or inefficient removal. The purpose of this review was to collect and analyze data about the incidence and concentrations of PCPs reported as emerging pollutants in different water matrices, including wastewater influents and effluents. Our database is composed of 141 articles with information about 72 PCPs recorded as emerging pollutants in 30 countries, in concentrations ranging from 0.029Â ng/L to 7.811Â ÃÂ 106Â ng/L. Fragrances, antiseptics and sunscreens were the most reported groups. As expected, the largest number of PCPs documented as emerging pollutants were found in wastewater treatment plant effluents with a total of 64 compounds, compared to 43 in surface water and 23 in groundwater, which evidence the anthropological contribution of PCPs to water bodies. These molecules were found in all the continents, however, there is a lack of information regarding the presence of emerging pollutants from PCPs in developing countries. Therefore, we suggest further efforts in assessing the occurrence and concentrations of these chemicals in those areas.
Graphical abstractDownload high-res image (300KB)Download full-size image