Mercedes Visca Palermo (Uruguay)

IHE Delft│Netherlands & UNIVALLE│Colombia

Implications of the presence of emerging pollutants in Uruguay (Uruguay)

Emerging pollutants (EP) are compounds ubiquitous in water at very small concentrations. Toxic effects of these compounds after medium and long-term exposure at low doses may include immune dysfunction, carcinogenesis, endocrine disruption, and growth disorder. My research reviewed studies on emerging pollutants in water, focusing on the sources of EP, the classes of EP, the occurrence of EP in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), and the removal efficiencies of EP achieved by different unit operations in WWTPs. In addition, my review included an environmental risk assessment of emerging contaminants in a sensitive river basin in Uruguay, one of the major sources of drinking water for the Uruguayan population, and this will be used to select the most appropriate technology for targeting and removing specific sets of emerging contaminants with similar chemical structures.