Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are synthetic organic chemical compounds, either intentionally or unintentionally produced, have widely aroused public concern in recent years. These chemicals are toxic and major environmental concern due to their persistence, long range transportability, bioaccumulation and potentially adverse effects on living organisms. Uncontrolled inputs combined with poor environmental management often result in elevated levels of persistent organic pollutants in affected estuaries. Since the Stockholm Convention on POPs was adopted, different techniques have been extensively developed. A major focus revealed the need for low cost methods that can be implemented easily in developing countries such as electrochemical techniques. Persistent organic pollutants are known to be resistant to conventional treatment methods such as flocculation, coagulation, filtration and oxidant chemical treatment. However, various advanced wastewater treatment technologies such as, activated carbon adsorption, biodegradation using membrane bioreactor and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been applied in the treatment of POPs.
Highlights
In the past decades, the health effects of environmental pollution on the population have been a growing source of worry around the world
Combustion and burning of organic compounds produces these substances unintentionally. Their occurrences are related to anthropogenic processes, and contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in river sediment is especially serious in high-density industrial areas [18]
Polychlorinated biphenyls, very stable mixtures that are resistant to extreme temperature and pressure, are a group of manmade chemicals, oily liquids or solids, clear to yellow in color, with no smell or taste
Summary
The health effects of environmental pollution on the population have been a growing source of worry around the world. Since World War II, scientists have identified a number of chemical contaminants that are toxic, persistent in the environment, bioaccumulative, and prone to long-range atmospheric transboundary migration and deposition, and are expected to have serious health consequences for humans, wildlife, and marine biota both near and far from their source of emission. These toxins are chemical contaminants, called the dirty dozen [1]. Different classes of POPs substances such as organochlorinated pesticides (OCP), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), brominated compounds (BFR), dioxins and furans are known Most of these substances are anthropogenic origin. Substances such as dioxins and furans may have natural origin (Figure 1), such as volcanic activities and vegetation fires [10–17]
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