Contaminantsofemergingconcern(CECs)aresubstancesfoundintheenvironmentthatwerepreviouslyunrecognizedorunregulatedbutmayposepotentialriskstohumanhealthorecosystems.Thesecontaminantsincludepharmaceuticals,personalcareproducts,pesticides,industrialchemicals,andmicroplastics.Theyentertheenvironmentthroughvariouspathwayssuchaswastewaterdischarge,agriculturalrunoff,andindustrialemissions.Duetotheirpersistence,bioaccumulationpotential,andunknownlong-termeffects,CECshavegainedincreasingattentionfromresearchersandregulators.MonitoringandmanagingCECsischallengingbecausetheirimpactsarenotyetfullyunderstood,andtraditionalwatertreatmentmethodsmaynoteffectivelyremovethem.AddressingCECsrequiresongoingresearch,improveddetectiontechnologies,andupdatedenvironmentalpolicies.
