Contaminantes emergentes y su impacto en la salud

Abstract

The industrial development of the last decades has caused the accumulation of substances that damage the environment and health.Recently, some substances have been detected, they have always been present, but they have gone unnoticed due to a lack of adequate techniques for their identification, which are called "emerging contaminants", including products such as drugs, pesticides, cosmetics, cleaning and personal hygiene items, among others. This article presents a review of the available evidence and the importance of the study of emerging contaminants and their impact on the environment and health. The emerging contaminants are substances that although they can be biodegradable, are very dangerous for the environment and the human organism due to their bioaccumulation and persistence.Another serious problem lies in the fact that the current water treatment plants do not eliminate them, so the development of new purification technologies is important.