Abstract
The presence of emerging contaminants in aquatic systems and their potential effects on ecosystems have sparked the interest of the scientific community with a consequent increase in their report. Moreover, the presence of emerging contaminants in the environment should be assessed through the “One-Health” approach since all the living organisms are exposed to those contaminants at some point and several works already reported their impact on ecological interactions. There are a wide variety of concerning emerging contaminants in water sources, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, house-care products, nanomaterials, fire-retardants, and all the vast number of different compounds of indispensable use in routine tasks. Synthetic musks are examples of fragrances used in the formulation of personal and/or house-care products, which may potentially cause significant ecotoxicological concerns. However, there is little-to-no information regarding the effect of synthetic musks on microbial communities. This study reviews the presence of musk fragrances in drinking water and their impact on aquatic microbial communities, with a focus on the role of biofilms in aquatic systems. Moreover, this review highlights the research needed for a better understating of the impact of non-pharmaceutical contaminants in microbial populations and public health.
Highlights
Emerging contaminants (ECs) or micropollutants are increasingly becoming a worldwide concern. These contaminants correspond to a wide range of natural and anthropogenic substances, indispensable to current societal demands, that are consistently found in the environment (i.e., groundwater, surface water, watercourses, wastewater, soil, drinking water (DW), and food sources) [1]
The main problem regarding pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) is not owed to their structural stability, but to their repeated disposal, which leads to their environmental persistence [4]
Considering the importance of the microbiota in aquatic ecosystems as well as the presence of biofilms in water destined for consumers, it becomes crucial to investigate the impact of the interaction between musk contaminants and biofilms
Summary
Emerging contaminants (ECs) or micropollutants are increasingly becoming a worldwide concern. Persistence—their chemical stability and persistence in the environment; (2) lipophilicity—their ability to accumulate in fat tissues and, subsequently, their biomagnification and bioaccumulation potential; and (3) acute or chronic toxicity [2]. This approach proves to be too generic and inadequate to classify some contaminants, due to the existence of pseudo-persistence; active transportation of some drugs into cells (regardless of their lipophilicity); and due to the existence of chemical compounds that act as indirect toxicants [2]. The role of biofilms in aquatic systems is critically assessed, taking into account that microorganisms are typically found in nature as living in biofilms
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