Organic pollutants in water and its health risk assessment through consumption

Abstract

Water, which is the basic need of human survival, has been a subject of serious environmental concerns in the past few decades. With the ever growing industrialization and boom in the economy, the availability of portable drinking water is arising as a major challenge. This chapter focuses on one such aspect of water pollution: organic pollutants. Wastes from industries such as dyes, paints, metallurgy, oil tanks spills, leachates, laboratory wastes, etc., add to the water pollution and reach human beings by one source or another. One if the major parts of organic pollutants is comprised of organic compounds that act as endocrine disruptors, for example, bisphenol A, dioxins, and fire retardants. Their effect on the human body is not limited to adults and children, but passes through the mother’s body to the unborn child. Some of the effects they cause are neurodegenerative disorder, and rectal and immunodeficiency diseases. They also cause sexual health issues by mimicking the effect of reproductive hormones. The current chapter looks into such aspects of organic contamination with a detailed insight of the sources and their effect on human health. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.