Persistent and Emerging Organic Contaminants in Natural Environments

In recent decades, the world has experienced the detrimental effects of the unchecked growth of various human activities, including industrialization, transportation, agriculture, and urbanization [1]. Improvements in living standards and the increasing demand for consumer goods have intensified air, water, and soil pollution, particularly through the release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and emerging contaminants (ECs) [2]. Air pollution, for example, is primarily driven by anthropogenic sources such as combustion processes related to industrial and civil activities, energy production, and transportation—including both the vehicular and maritime sectors. These activities release harmful substances such as POPs, greenhouse gasses, and particulate matter [1,3]. Similarly, water pollution is closely linked to human activities in urban, agricultural, and industrial contexts, which lead to the release of pollutants such as chemicals, nutrients, leachates, and oil spills [4]. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), while essential for managing municipal, hospital, industrial, and agricultural discharges, have limited effectiveness in removing certain classes of ECs, highlighting a critical gap in their capacity to mitigate these contaminants [1,5]. Soil contamination arises from hazardous waste disposal, pesticide application, sludge use, and the accumulation of non-biodegradable materials, and is exacerbated by insufficient waste management infrastructures [1].