Do you know what emerging contaminants are? A warning article on this Water Day.
Residues from medicines and cosmetics reach water sources and slip past conventional treatment. What emerging contaminants are and why they matter.
On this World Water Day, we are using our communication channels to raise an alert: there has been a growing number of cases in which substances harmful to health have been found in water treated by utility companies.
The data released by Mapa da Água on March 7th further exposes a problem that has been worsening over the years: water contamination with chemical substances, which give rise to the so-called emerging contaminants.
An old problem...
This data raises a long-standing issue of contamination of our rivers and water sources, resulting from the disposal of chemical waste by various agents — and this time, industries are not the only "villains"! We, as residents, also carry with us, through our consumption habits, waste that returns to the environment, such as the use of contraceptives and sunscreens, for example.
In the long run, residues from the use of these medications and products are discarded through bathing, urine, and feces, transported into the sewage system, and consequently end up at Water Treatment Plants.
Learn more about the journey water takes in this post.
Is there a way to treat this water?
In the short term, some solutions are being studied to minimize the problem. The use of Activated Carbon, Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOP), and Membranes, for example, has been proving effective in reducing these contaminants at Water Treatment Plants, according to this study.
In the long term, changes in our daily habits and product manufacturing processes appear to be the safest way to protect our health and the health of the environment.
Discover Hidrofiltros solutions for industry and for your home. We have replacement filters and purifiers made with activated carbon.
Sources:
https://www.scielo.br/j/rmat/a/jnxCg96JVNK9dy7pfTzschh/?lang=pt
https://www.aguasustentavel.org.br/conteudo/blog/77-o-que-sao-os-contaminantes-emergentes-ce
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