Bio strategies for the removal of contaminants of emerging concern from wastewater

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine disruptors and illicit drugs are the main constituents of the so-called contaminants of emerging concern (CEC). These compounds appear in increasing quantities in wastewater and are therefore a matter of great concern. In the last years several reports have been published relating different methods to remove the contaminants. The advantages of the biological methods over physicochemical methods are well known and include low-cost operational requirements, no generation of secondary pollutants, and are being considered as an environmentally friendly option. This chapter highlights the review of scientific literature published in the last years related to the biological methods applied to the CEC removal. The chapter includes a review of the main sources, occurrence, and a description of the different biological removal methods. The authors also present the challenges, recommendations, and future perspectives related with the bio-strategies used for the removal of these contaminants from wastewater.