Novel monitoring tools tackle chemical surface waters pollution
With the socio-economic developments of the last decades, new emerging compounds have been produced, released and discharged through different point and diffuse sources in European rivers, lakes, and marine-coastal and transitional waters. Treated municipal wastewaters contain a multitude of organic chemicals including pharmaceuticals, hormones, and personal care products, which are continuously introduced into aquatic ecosystems. Their possible effects on the environment and human health is often unknown. The exposure of organisms, communities and humans to mixtures of chemical compounds must be considered to be the most common exposure scenario, but for technical and economical reasons, it is not possible to detect and quantify all chemical substances that are present in the aquatic environment.