Endocrine-disrupting pollutants in domestic and industrial wastewater: occurrence and removal by advanced treatment system for wastewater reuse

In the context of water scarcity, domestic and industrial wastewater reuse may be an alternative as a reliable resource for alleviating acute water shortage. But, the possibilities of wastewater reuse are limited due to the presence of various emerging pollutants. Among these, Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are detected in domestic and industrial wastewater being major emerging pollutants due to their abundant usage and improper disposal. EDCs became notable globally due to their estrogen effect, toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation, and negative effects at very low concentrations. EDCs may not be removed completely through conventional wastewater treatment plants; hence it’s reached the water sources by the routes of domestic and industrial effluents. In the past decade, the concerns over the current EDC management strategies have increased and created a greater interest in environmental occurrence, fate, ecological effects, and advanced treatment systems that are sustainable and eco-friendly. This article aims to review the sources of EDCs and their removal by advanced treatment techniques that are based on different principles.